JOURNAL 


OF 


The  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 


PHILADELPHIA. 


SECOND  SERIES,  VOLUME  XIII. 


PART  4. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

THE  ACADEMY  OF  NATURAL  SCIENCES. 

P.  C.  STOCKHAUSEN.  PPINTCR,  PHILADELPHIA. 

1908. 


PUBLICATION  COMMITTEE. 


Henry  Skinner,  M.  D.  Philip  P.  Cal\ 

Henry  A.  Pilsbry,  Sc.  D.  Witmer  Stone 

Edward  J.  Nolan,  M.  I). 

The  President,  Samuel  G.  Dixon,  M.  D.,  ex-officio. 

Editor,  Edward  J.  Nolan,  M.  D. 


t 


y 


WRITINGS  ON  ARCHAEOLOGY. 


By  Clarence  B.  Moore. 

(Jertain  Shell  Heaps  of  the  St.  Johns  River,  Florida,  hitherto  unexplored.  The 
'American  Naturalist,  Nov.,  1892,  to  Jany.,  1894,  inclusive.  Five  j)apers 
with  illustrations  in  text,  and  maps. 

Certain  Sand  Mounds  of  the  St.  Johns  River,  Florida,  Parts  I and  11.  Journal  of 
the  AYcademy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  Philadelphia,  1894.  Vol. 
X.  (Quarto,  130  and  123  pages.  Frontispieces,  maps,  plates,  illustrations 
in  the  text. 

Certain  Sand  Mounds  of  Duval  County,  Florida;  Two  Mounds  on  Murphy  Island, 
Florida;  Certain  Sand  Mounds  of  the  Ocklawaha  River,  Florida.  Journ. 
A-Vcad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1895.  Vol.  X.  Quarto,  108  pages.  Frontispiece, 
maps,  plates,  illustrations  in  text. 

Additional  Mounds  of  Duval  and  of  Clay  Counties,  Florida;  Mound  Investigation 
on  the  East  Coast  of  Florida;  Certain  Florida  Coast  Mounds  north  of  the 
St.  Johns  River.  Privately  printed,  Philadelphia,  189C.  Quarto,  30  pages. 
Map,  plates,  illustrations  in  text. 

(’ertain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Georgia  Coast.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila., 
1897.  Vol.  XI.  (Quarto,  144  pages.  Frontispiece,  map,  plates,  illustra- 
tions in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Coast  of  South  Carolina  ; Certain  A\boriginal 
Mounds  of  the  Savannah  River;  Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Altaniaha 
River;  Recent  AYcquisitions ; a\  Cache  of  Pendent  Ornaments.  Journ.  Acad, 
Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1898.  Vol. ‘XL  (Quarto,  48  pages.  Frontisi)iece,  maps, 
illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Remains  of  the  Alabama  River.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of 
Phila.,  1899.  V^ol.  XI.  (Juarto,  02  pages.  AMap,  illustrations  in  text. 
Certain  A'\.nti(iuities  of  the  Florida  West-Coast.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila., 
1900.  Vol.  XI.  Quarto,  46  pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Remains  of  the  Northwest  Florida  Coast,  Part  1;  Certain 
A\l)original  Remains  of  the  Tombigbee  River.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of 
Phila.,  1901.  Vol.  XI.  (Quarto,  100  pages.  Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 
Certain  Aboriginal  Remains  of  the  Northwest  Florida  Coast,  Part  II.  Journ.  Acad. 
Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1902.  Vol.  XII.  Quarto,  235  pages.  Maps,  illustrations 
in  text. 

Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Central  Florida  West-Coast;  Certain  Aboriginal 
AMounds  of  the  AYpalachicola  River.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1903. 
Vol.  XII.  (Juarto,  130  pages.  ,Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Sheet-copper  from  the  Mounds  is  not  Necessarily  of  European  Origin.  A-Vinerican 
Anthropologist.  Jan.-March,  1903.  Plates  in  text. 

The  So-c<alled  “ Hoe-shaped  Implement.”  American  Anthropologist,  July-Sept., 

1903.  Illustrations  in  te.xt. 

•Vboriginal  Urn-burial  in  the  United  States.  American  A\nthro}M)logist,  Oct.-Dec., 

1904.  Plate. 

A Form  of  Urn-burial  on  .Mobile  Bay.  American  .Ynthropologist,  Jan. -.March,  1905. 
Certain  Aboriginal  Remains  of  tlie  Black  Warrior  River  [.Moundville]  ; Certain 
.Yboriginal  Rmnains  of  the  Lower  Tombigbee  River;  Certain  Aboriginal 
Remains  of  Mobile  Bay  and  .Mississippi  Sound  ; .Miscellaneous  Investiga- 
tion in  Florida.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1 905.  Vol.  XIII.  (Quarto, 
206  pages.  .Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

.Moundville  Revisited ; Crystal  River  Revisited  ; Mounds  of  the  Lower  Chattahoo- 
chee and  Lower  Flint  Rivers;  Notes  on  the  Ten  Thousand  Islands,  Florida. 
Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1907.  \"ol.  XIIL  (Quarto,  144  pages. 

.Maps,  illustrations  in  text. 

Certain  .Mounds  of  Arkansas  and  of  .Mississippi  (including  Doctor  Hrdlicka’s  j)aper 
on  the  Crania).  Journ.  .Vead.  Nat.  Sci.  of  Phila.,  1908.  Vol.  XIII. 
()uarto,  about  120  j)ages.  .Maps,  illustrations  in  t<‘xt,  eight  colored  plates. 


Certain  Mounds  of  Arkansas  and  of 

Mississippi 


Part  I 

Mounds  and  Cemeteries  of  the  Lower 

Arkansas  River 


Part  II 

Mounds  of  the  Lower  Yazoo  and  Lower 
Sunflower  Rivers,  Mississippi 


Part  111 

The  Blum  Mounds,  Mississippi 


CLARENCE  B.  MOORE. 


PHILADELPHIA 


PART  I 


Mounds  and  Cemeteries  of  the  Lower 

Arkansas  River 

BY 


CLARENCE  B.  MOORE. 


MAP  OF  LOWER  PART  OF  THE  ARKANSAS  RIVER 

. Scale  in  mi leo 

p , , ^ » «,♦  \S  Xy 


idOS 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


P)V  Ci.AKKxcE  B.  Moore. 


PART  I. 

Mounds  .vnd  Cemeteries  of  the  Lower  Arkansas  River. 

Wlien  it  Iiecanie  evident  that  our  ((uest  on  the  Yazoo  and  SunHower  rivers 
in  tlie  State  of  Mississi[)pi  (described  in  the  latter  part  of  this  report),  was  not 
destined  to  succeed,  we  turned  to  the  Arkansas  river. 

This  river  we  investigated  as  far  up  as  Natural  Steps,  twenty  miles  above  the 
city  of  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  a distance  of  104  miles  by  water,  according  to  the 
(iovernment  survey.  This  survey,  however,  was  made  long  ago,  and  the  river  in 
recent  years,  by  cutting  its  way  across  bends,  has  shortened  its  course;  therefore, 
the  distance  gone  over  by  us  was  considerably  less  than  the  figures  given. 

The  time  spent  on  this  work,  in  our  llat-hottomed  steamer,  with  thirteen  men 
to  dig  and  four  to  sujiervise,  was  fifty-six ' days,  including  parts  of  February  and 
April,  and  all  of  March,  1908. 

Our  custom  to  send  agents  in  advance  to  find  the  exact  locations  of  mounds, 
had  not  been  followed  in  the  case  of  those  on  the  Arkansas  river. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Menard  mound,  and  the  so-called  Toltec  group 
below  Little  Rock,  the  mounds  on  the  Arkansas  river  between  its  mouth  and  Nat- 
ural Steps  (that  part  of  the  river  with  which  this  report  has  to  do),  are  insignificant 
in  number  and  in  size;  while  aboriginal  cemeteries,  as  to  the  location  of  which  a 
clue  could  be  had,  were  far  from  numerous.  The  river  is  constantly  changing  its 
course,  and  many  mounds  and  cemeteries,  no  doubt,  have  been  swept  away  in  the 
past  or  have  lieen  left  far  inland. 

When  Marquette,^  the  first  of  the  French  explorers  of  this  region,  visited  the 
aborigines  not  far  from  the  Arkansas  River,  in  1G73,  lie  found  them  cooking  Indian 
corn  “ in  large  earthen  pots  very  curiously  made.”  “ They  have  also,”  we  are 


' Inchnling  four  days  on  the  White  and  LaGrue  Rivers. 

^ B.  F.  French,  Historical  Collections  of  Louisiana,  Fart  II,  p.  295.  To  those  who  have  not 
access  to  the  original  French  in  ^largry’s  “ Decouvertes,”  the  “ Historical  Collections  of  Louisiana,” 
edited  by  B.  F.  French,  will  be  of  interest.  The  five  parts  appeared,  resj)ectively,  in  184H,  1850,  1851, 
1852,  1853.  The  reader,  however,  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  “ Collections  ” contain  misprints  and 
mistranslations,  and  that  incorporated  in  Part  I is  the  fictitious  account  by  Father  Hennepin  of  a jour- 
ney by  him  down  the  Mississippi  to  the  Gulf,  which  journey  the  mendacious  friar  never  accomplished. 

A second  series  edited  by  B.  F.  French,  “ Historical  Collections  of  Louisiana  and  P^lorida,”  two 
volumes,  one  published  in  1869,  one  in  1875,  complete  these  “Collections.” 


Cl  JOURN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


482  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


told,  “ large  baked  earthen  plates,  which  they  use  for  different  purposes.  The  men 
go  naked  and  wear  their  hair  short.  They  pierce  tlieir  noses  and  ears,  and  wear 
rings  of  glass  l)eads  in  them.” 

At  nearly  every  site  investigated  by  us  were  found  beads  of  glass  and  objects 
of  brass — sure  signs,  as  the  reader  is  aware,  of  contact  between  the  aborigines  and 
white  men. 

Human  remains  found  l)y  us  along  the  xVrkansas  river  were  usually  .so  badly 
decayed  as  to  be  worthless  for  scientific  investigation. 

A number  of  skulls,  however,  were  ])reserved  and  were  sent  by  us  to  the 
United  States  National  Museum  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

Dr.  Ales  Hrdlicka  has  kindly  sent  us  an  interesting  and  complete  report  on 
these  skulls,  which  follows  this  portion  (Part  I)  of  our  description  of  the  season’s 
work. 

At  one  place,  Greer,  certain  evidence^  was  found  liy  us  of  the  jiresence  of  a 
specific  disease  which  affects  the  bones,  this  evidence  being  strongly  marked  in  the 
case  of  a single  skeleton,  many  of  whose  principal  bones  were  seriously  involved. 

We  attach  but  little  importance  to  this  discovery  of  diseased  bones,  however, 
inasmuch  as  Greer  cannot,  with  reasonable  certainty,  be  classed  as  a pre-Columl)ian 
site.  It  is  true  that  no  European  artifacts,  such  as  glass,  brass,  iron  or  lead,  were 
found  there  by  us;  and  that  the  copper  beads  (present  with  one  burial  only)  have 
been  shown  by  the  analysis  of  Dr.  H.  F.  Keller  to  be  j)ure  native  copper  with  only 
a trace  of  iron,  hence  far  purer  than  any  product  from  the  smelted  sulphide  ores 
of  Euroj)e  could  have  been  in  early  times,  or  indeed  could  l)c  at  the  present  time. 

Still,  as  almost  nothing  except  pottery  (which  does  not  determine  their  period) 
had  been  placed  with  the  burials  at  Greer;  and  as  the  native  coj>per  beads,  found 
in  but  a single  instance,  cannot  be  regarded  as  more  than  an  indication  ; and  as  all 
other  sites  of  importance  investigated  by  ns  on  the  Arkansas  river  were,  as  we 
have  said,  distinctly  post-Columbian,  the  (piestion  of  contact  between  Europeans 
and  the  makers  of  the  cemetery  at  Greer  must  be  considered  an  open  one. 

In  the  way  of  artifacts,  but  little  save  earthenware  lay  with  the  dead  in  the 
graves  along  the  lower  Arkansas,  the  aboriginal  mourners,  seemingly,  having- 
considered  their  duty  fully  performed  by  depositing  pottery  alone. 

\'essels  were  not  always  present  with  the  dead,  though  in  the  great  majority 
of  cases  they  were  so  found,  sometimes  singly,  often  in  pairs  (usually  a bottle  and  a 
bowl);  occasionally  in  greater  number,  ten  in  one  instance  having  been  found  with 
a single  burial.  The  smallest  vessels  usually  accompanied  the  remains  of  children. 

* In  anotlier  translation  of  Mar<iuette’s  narrative  the  word  “ glass  ” is  omitted,  tlie  statement  being 
that  tlie  natives  wear  beads  hanging  from  their  noses  and  ears  (Ilist.  Coll,  of  La.,  Part  IV,  page  48y 
In  the  original  French  the  w-ord  rassade  is  used.  This  word  is  defined  as  “ l>eads  of  glass  or  of  enamel  ” 
by  Littre;  and  practically  the  same  definition  is  given  by  the  Dictionary  of  the  French  Academy. 
Nouveau  Larousse  lUudre  gives  rassade  as  meaning  glassware  for  trading  purposes.  Nevertheless  it  is 
just  possible  that  Marquette,  though  lately  from  Canada  where  glass  beads  on  Indians  must  have  been 
a familiar  sight,  may  have  used  the  word  rassade  in  describing  beads  of  shell  or  the  pierced  pearls  often 
worn  by  aborigines.  The  Arkansas  and  the  White  rivers  are  today  famous  for  their  yield  of  pearls. 

As  attested  by  the  United  States  Army  ^Medical  .Museum  where  the  bones  now  are. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIRPI.  483 


As  a rule,  vessels  lav  near  the  skulls;  and  even  in  bunched  burials,  the  vicin- 
ity of  a skull  was  often  selected  as  the  i)lace  of  deposit.  This  rule,  however,  had 
many  exceptions,  and  in  some  sites  vessels  were  found  at  almost  every  part  of  the 
skeleton,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  detailed  accounts  of  our  investigation,  which  are 
to  follow. 

As  we  have  already  said,  practically  all  the  cemeteries  investigated  by  us  on 
the  lower  Arkansas  river  extended  into  the  post-Colnmbian  period,  a fact,  however, 
which  had  little  to  do  with  the  earthenware  of  the  cemeteries,  as  hns  been  well 
expressed  b\’  Professor  Holmes. 

“ There  is  but  little  (evidence  of  the  iuHuence  of  the  art  of  the  whites,”  he 
says,*  “ upon  the  ceramic  products  of  this  province,  although  the  forms  are  some- 
times thought  to  be  suggestive  of  European  models.  It  is  certain,  however,  that 
the  art  had  reached  its  highest  stage  without  the  aid  of  civilized  hands,  and  in  the 
study  of  its  many  interesting  features  we  can  feel  assured  that  we  are  dealing  with 
purely  aboriginal  types.” 

The  earthenware  of  the  lower  Arkansas  river,  in  common  with  that  of  all  the 
middle  Mississip[)i  region,  was  not  “killed”  by  l)reaking  a hole  in  the  base  or  by 
making  one  there  prior  to  the  firing  of  the  clay;  nor  was  it  broken  ceremonially 
before  i n hum ation . 

The  ware,  shell-tempered,  is  not,  in  our  oi)inion,  e([ual  to  the  best  we  have 
found  elsewhere  (notably  at  Mound ville,  Ala.,  and  along  the  northwestern  Florida 
coast),  being  less  thin,  less  evenly  fired,  and  often  having  the  tempering  material 
irregularly  distributed,  as  if  by  imperfect  kneading  of  the  clay. 

The  dark  ware  with  a highly  polished  coating,  which  sometimes  is  found  in 
Mississippi  and  in  Alabama,  is  scarcely  met  with  along  the  lower  Arkansas. 

However,  althongh  the  ware  as  a whole  is,  as  we  have  said,  inferior  to  that 
sometimes  found  elsewhere,  we  nevertheless  encountered  in  our  investigation  a 
number  of  well-tempered,  well-fired,  and  carefully-wrought  vessels,  which  among 
others,  will  be  particularly  described  and  figured  later  in  this  report. 

In  form,  the  pot,  the  bowl,  and  the  bottle  greatly  predominate,  the  long- 
necked  bottles,  or  carafes,  being  comparatively  numerous.  We  find  also  the  life- 
form,  sometimes  in  combination  with  the  bottle;  and  we  meet  with  eccentric  forms, 
occasionally. 

An  interesting  type  along  the  Arkansas  river  is  the  “teapot”  form  of  vessel, 
which  has  a more-or-less  globular  body ; a circular  opening  on  top,  surrounded  by 
a low  neck;  and  a spout  and  small  knob  on  opposite  sides'  of  the  body. 

‘ \V.  II.  Holmes,  “ Ancient  Pottery  of  the  Missi-ssippi  Valley,”  Fourth  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am. 
Ethnol.,  p.  371 . 

In  addition  to  the  above-named  work  we  would  call  attention,  in  connection  with  the  pottery  of 
the  lower  Arkansas  river,  to  “ Pottery  of  the  .Middle  ^Mississippi  Valley,”  in  W.  II.  Holmes’  “Aborig- 
inal Pottery  of  Eastern  United  States,”  Twentieth  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ethnol.;  also  “Pottery  from 
.\rkan.sas,”  by  the  same  author,  in  Third  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ethnol.;  Gates  P.  Thruston,  “Antiqui- 
ties of  Tenne.ssee”;  Dr.  Edward  Evens,  “ Archajology  of  Missouri,  Part  I,  The  Ancient  Pottery  of 
Southeastern  Missouri”;  Charles  C.  Willoughby,  “An  Analysis  of  the  Decorations  upon  Pottery  from 
the  Mississippi  Valley,”  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  Vol.  X,  1897. 

^ Two  vessels  of  this  form  are  figured  by  Holmes  as  coming  from  near  the  Menard  mound,  Arkan- 
sas river.  Third  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ethnol.,  p.  482. 


484  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


“ Tlie  origin  of  tliis  form  of  vessel,”  says  Professor  Holmes,^  “is  suggested  by 
a flue  red  piece  from  ‘Mississippi,’  now  in  tlie  National  Collection.  The  knob  is 
the  head  of  a turtle  or  other  full-bodied  re[)tile,  and  the  spout  takes  the  place  of 
the  creature’s  tail.  Many  of  the  animal-shaped  vases  would  resemble  this  form 
closely  if  an  opening  were  made  through  the  toj)of  the  body  and  through  the  tail.” 

This  animal-form  “teapot”  referred  to  by  Professor  Holmes,  is  figured  l)y  him 
in  a later  work.^ 

We  found  on  the  lower  Arkansas  twentj'-eight  of  this  “teapot”  form  of  ves- 
sel, ranging  in  size  between  the  mere  toy  hut  1.9  inches  in  height,  and  the  capacious 
vessel  7.6  inches  high;  some  of  dark  ware;  some  of  yellow  ware  liaving  a solid 
coating  of  red;  others  of  3*ellow  ware  decorated  with  red  and  white;  and  in  two 
instances  with  red,  white  and  black.  There  were  also  two  life-forms  with  s|)onts. 
The  more  noteworthy  of  these  “teapot”  vessels  will  be  described  in  their  proper 
places. 

We  believe  this  novel  “ teapot”  type,  so  far  as  tlie  United  States^  is  concerned, 
to  be  peculiar  to  eastern  Arkansas  and  nearby  regions.^  As  we  went  westward  on 
the  river,  the  ty[)e  was  less  often  met  with,  only  one  being  found  in  the  cemetery 
at  Creer.  We  have  seen  a few  said  to  have  come  from  near  the  city  of  Little 
Rock.  In  photographs  of  two  large  collections  of  pottery  from  Arkansas,  west  of 
Little  Rock,  the  “teapot”  form  appears  but  once. 

A large  percentage  of  tlie  pottery  of  the  Lower  Arkansas  is  undecorated.® 
When  decoration  is  present  it  consists  of  the  use  of  pigment,  or  of  designs  con- 
ferred by  a pointed  implement,  sharp  or  blunt.  In  the  case  of  .some  ves.sels  found 
in  one  site,  incised  decoration  with  red  pigment  rubbed  into  the  lines  was  encoun- 
tered. 

The  pigments  employed,  as  Professor  Holmes®  points  out,  were  generally  clays, 
white  or  tinted  with  iron  oxide.  Dr.  II.  F.  Keller  has  made  lor  us  eight  determin- 
ations and  analyses  of  coloring  matter  on  vessels  from  the  lower  Arkansas  and  of 
various  masses  of  white  and  of  red  material  which  we  found  with  skeletons,  some- 
times carel’ully  stored  in  vessels.  The  red  pigment  is  oxide  of  iron ; the  white 
pigment  is  clay.  One  of  the  masses  of  red  material  “is  very  intense  in  color  and 
contains  more  than  sixty  per  cent,  of  ferric  oxide,  the  remainder  being  silica  and 
alumina.  This  material  is  undoubtedly  red  ocher.” 

* Fourth  Ann.  Rep.  Bnr.  Am.  Ethnol.,  p.  40.3. 

^Twentieth  .Viin.  Rep.  Bnr.  .\m.  Ethnol.,  Plate  XL,  h. 

’('omi)are  ves.sels  with  spoil ts,  from  Panneo  ^'alle_v,  Mexico.  Jesse  Walter  Fewkes,  “(Jertain 
Antiipiities  of  Eastern  Mexico.”  Twenty-fifth  Ann.  Rep.  Bnr.  Am.  Ethnol.,  Plate  ('XX  VI I,  a,  h. 

A1.SO  compare  ve.ssels,  with  single  and  double  spouts,  from  Central  America.  Catalogue  of  Col- 
lection of  .Seiior  Arango,  Medellin,  (jolomhia. 

‘Holmes  de.scrihes  one  as  coming  from  “ Mississippi.”  I'onrth  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ethnol., 
p.  403. 

See  also  two  “ teapot”  vessels  from  Coahoma  County,  Miss.,  which  county  borders  the  Mi.«sissippi 
river.  Charles  Peabody,  “ Exploration  of  Mounds,  Coahoma  County,  Mississipiii,”  Peabodv  Museum 
Paper.<,  Vol.  Ill,  Xo.  2.  Plate  XIV. 

* Undecorated  vessels,  commonplace  in  shape  and  so  poorly  fired  that  after  their  long  dejiosit  in 
water-soaked  ground,  they  were  hardly  more  than  paste,  were  sometimes  the  jirincipal  yield  from  a 
day’s  work. 

® Twentieth  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ethnol.,  p.  86. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  485 


Another  mass  of  red  contained  a moderate  percentage  of  ferric  oxide  with 
((uartz  and  clay,  forming  a light  red.  Doubtless  admixture  of  white  clay  with  the 
red  o.vide  formed  the  various  shades  of  cream  and  of  pink  used  in  decorating 
the  pottery. 

The  white  masses  from  the  several  localities  are  almost  pure  kaolin  and  doubt- 
less are  the  same  as  the  white  material  used  on  the  vessels. 

The  Tarahumare  Indians  of  Mexico  use  a white  earth  in  the  decoration  of 
pottery/  and  Pueblo  Indians  of  southwestern  United  States  used  kaolin  on  their 
ware.^ 

The  black  coloring  matter  occasionally  found  on  the  vessels  of  the  lower 
Arkansas,  seems  to  l)e  hardlj'  more  than  a stain,  and  does  not  lie  on  the  vessels  in 
a coating  as  do  the  ferric  oxide  and  the  clay.  have  not  been  able  to  obtain 

enough  of  this  material  to  make  an  analysis. 

The  painted  decoration,  which  is  almost  invariably  on  yellow  or  yellow-red 
ware,  oilers  hut  little  variety.  In  a majority  of  cases  we  find  a .solid  coating  of 
red,  sometimes  rich  in  shade  and  carefully  polished. 

When  designs  are  attempted,  there  is  great  rej)etition.  Of  the  fifteen  bottles 
found  by  us  on  the  Arkansas  river,  decorated  in  red  and  white,  hut  four  have 
designs  other  than  almost  e.xactly  similar  partly-interlocked  scrolls;  and  two  of 
these  four  have  scroll-decoration  nearly  related  to  that  of  the  majority  of  the  bottles. 
The  contrast  between  the  monotony  of  design  on  the  painted  vessels  of  this  region 
and  the  great  variety  on  those  of  southwestern  United  States  is  marked  indeed. 

In  the  case  of  at  least  .some  of  the  bottles  from  the  lower  Arkansas,  with  dec- 
oration of  white  and  of  red  pigment,  it  .seems  as  if  first  of  all  a slip,  or  coating,  of 
red  had  been  placed  over  the  entire  bottle,  and  that  the  white  of  the  painted  design 
had  been  laid  on  top  of  the  red.  In  jdaces,  also,  to  deline  the  design,  the  red  has 
been  scraped  away,  leaving  the  yellow  of  the  ware  in  which,  however,  traces  of 
the  red  slip  still  remain. 

The  decoration  on  the  dark  ware  of  the  lower  Arkansas  has  been  conferred, 
as  a rule,  by  means  of  a method  explained  by  Profes.sor  Holmes,  that  is.  In’  trail- 
ing a broad  point  along  the  clay  before  firing. 

The  incised  design,  properly  speaking,  is  rarely  found  and  is  seldom  other  than 
of  inferior  execution,  while  engraved  decoration,  made  with  a line  point,  is  more 
unusual  still.  Several  excellent  examples  of  these  forms  were  met  with  by  ns, 
however. 

Of  the  trailed  decoration  we  can  say,  as  we  have  said  of  the  jiainted  designs, 
that  there  is  great  repetition.  Some  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  this  repetition 
was  carried  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  in  one  cemetery  on  the  Arkansas 
we  found  thirty-two  bottles  and  bowls,  all  bearing  very  closely  related  scroll-designs 
formed  by  combinations  of  trailed,  broad  lines. 

' Carl  Luinlioltz,  “ Unknown  ^Mexico,”  Vol.  I,  p.  243. 

MValter  Hough,  “ Archaeological  Field  Work  in  Northeastern  Arizona.”  Smithsonian  Report, 
1901,  p.  315. 


48G  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


As  most  of  the  ware  found  by  us  was  broken  when  discovered,  or  received 
injury  from  the  spades  of  the  diggers,  it  has  been  necessary  to  cement  the  parts 
together  and  occasionally  to  make  slight  restorations.  In  this  hitter  event,  how- 
ever, care ' has  been  taken  to  introduce  nothing  not  thoroughly  justified  by  the 
remainder  of  the  vessel,  and  to  use  for  restoration  a material  slightly  differing  in 
shade  from  the  color  of  the  ware,  that  the  modern  work  may  not  be  confused  with 
that  of  the  aboriginal  potter. 

All  reductions  in  size  of  vessels,  and  of  all  other  olijects,  figured  in  this  report, 
are  linear;  measurements  are  appro.ximate.  Decoration  sliovn  in  diagram  is  as 
exact  as  to  size  as  is  possible  in  the  case  of  a curved  design  represented  on  a 
flat  surface. 

Thanks  are  tendered  to  Dr.  M.  G.  Miller,  who  has  accompanied  us  on  all  our 
archaeological  expeditions,  in  charge  of  the  anatomical  portion  of  the  work ; to 
Mr.  F.  W.  Hodge  for  literary  revision  of  this  report;  and  to  Mr.  Arthur  W.  Clime, 
who  lent  us  eflicient  aid  as  assistant  throughout  the  season  of  1907-08. 

We  shall  now  describe  our  work  on  the  lower  Arkansas  river,  omitting  many 
places  where  our  ([uest  was  unsuccessful,  and  detailing  only  such  as  yielded  tangible 
results. 


MOUNDS  AND  SITES  INVESTIGATED. 

Near  Menard  Mound,  Arkansas  County. 

Near  Sawyer’s  Landing,  Arkansas  County. 

Near  Old  River  Landing,  Arkansas  County. 

Mound  near  Goldman  Field,  Jeffer.son  County. 

Mound  near  Douglas,  Lincoln  County. 

Cemeteiy  near  Greer,  Jefferson  County. 

Near  Mexakd  Mound,  Arkansas  Countv. 

The  Menard  monmU  is  about  one  mile  WNW.  from  Menard  Landing  on  the 
Arkansas  river,  and  six  miles,  approximately,  in  an  ESE.  direction  from  Arkansas 
Post. 

The  mound  is  on  property  of  Mr.  J.  Menard,  who  lives  within  fifty  yards  of 
its  base,  and  who  owns  much  land  in  the  neighborhood,  all  which  was  placed  at 
our  disposal  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  as  was  much  adjacent  property  lielonging 
to  Messrs.  C.  W.  Wallace,  A.  L.  Plant,  and  N.  R.  Menard — Mr.  Wallace  even 
allowing  us  to  work  for  days  in  ground  which  had  recently  been  plowed. 

The  high  ground  on  which  the  mound  is  built,  and  much  adjacent  land,  is  not 
subject  to  overflow,  to  which  so  much  of  this  region  is  exposed,  and  hence  must 
have  been  the  seat  of  a considerable  aboriginal  j)opulation,  as  it  is  about  the  first 
high  land  encountered  in  ascending  the  river. 

' In  relation  to  the  Menard  mound,  see:  \V.  H.  Holmes,  “Pottery  from  Arkansas,”  Third  .\nn. 
Rep.  Bnr.  Am.  Ethnol.,  p.  476,  et  seq. ; and,  Cyrus  Thomas,  “ Mound  E.xplorations,”  Twelfth  Ann. 
Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ethnol.,  p.  229  et  seq. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  487 


Tlie  mound,  a truncated  cone,  imposing  in  apj)earance,  is  34.5  feet  in  height, 
measured  from  tlie  north,  where  the  surrounding  territory  is  somewhat  high;  meas- 
ured from  the  northwest,  where  there  is  a depression,  the  height  of  the  mound  is 
from  3 to  4 feet  greater. 

Tlie  basal  diameter  of  the  mound  is  167  feet;  the  diameter  of  the  summit 
plateau  is  28  feet.  On  the  southwest  is  a causeway  of  consideralile  size. 

It  is  not  in  the  mound,  however,  though  some  digging  has  deen  done  into  it 
in  the  past,  that  the  burials  and  accompanying  artifacts,  which  have  made  the 
place  famous,  have  been  found,  but  in  small  rises  of  the  ground  in  the  adjacent 
land — dwelling-sites — and  even  in  perfectly  level  ground.  In  all  directions  on  the 
surrounding  territory  lie  bits  of  pottery  and  fragments  of  human  bones;  in  the 
helds ; in  the  gardens ; by  the  roadside ; everywhere',  in  fact ; and  there  is  no 
inhabitant  of  the  neighliorhood  but  has  exact  details  to  give,  based  on  personal 
experience,  of  the  finding  of  quantities  of  alioriginal  potter}’. 

Unfortunately  for  late  comers,  like  ourselves,  the  constant  wash  of  rain  over 
soil  loosened  by  cultivation  had  laid  bare  a majority  of  the  burials,  or  so  removed 
the  soil  above  them  that  the  plow  had  wrought  sad  havoc  among  bones  and  pottery  ; 
while  desultory  digging  also  had  levied  a considerable  toll.  In  consequence,  only 
gleanings  remained  for  ns  from  a former  abundant  harvest. 

Our  work  near  the  Menard  mound,  with  from  eleven  to  thirteen  men  to  dig, 
lasted  twelve  working  days  and  began  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Menard  home, 
where  the  curious  spectacle  was  presented  of  the  unearthing  l>y  us  of  a number  of 
burials,  with  accompanying  vessels  of  earthenware,  in  Mr.  Menard’s  “front  yard,” 
between  his  veranda  and  the  garden  fence. 

Our  investigatioris  continued  over  the  Menard  orchard  and  fields  ; were  carried 
on  for  a number  of  days  in  the  dwelling-sites  of  Mr.  Wallace’s  fields  and  woods, 
situated  in  a northeasterly  direction  from  the  mound  ; were  extended  to  the  field 
of  Mr.  Plant,  somewhat  farther  in  the  same  direction,  and  to  the  woods  of  Mr. 
N.  Menard. 

Our  work  in  all  the  woods,  however,  was  without  success,  so  far  as  the  dis- 
covery of  pottery  is  concerned,  though  small  mounds  and  rises  of  the  ground  are 
present  in  them  in  abundance. 

One  hundred  and  sixty  burials  were  met  with  during  our  work  near  the 
Menard  mound. 

The  bones  varied  somewhat  as  to  condition,  some  being  badly  decayed,  while 
in  other  cases  lomr-bones  were  recovered  entire. 

Some  of  the  bones  showed  the  effects  of  inflammatory  conditions  ; one  instance 
of  anchylosis  of  the  radio-ulnar  articulation  was  found  ; and  also  a reunited  frac- 
ture of  a radius  and  an  ulna.  The  two  latter  specimens  were  sent  to  the  United 
States  Army  Medical  Museum,  Washington,  D.  (J. 

Certain  crania  from  this  place  were  preserved,  and  in  common  with  all  crania 
found  by  us  along  the  Arkansas  river,  are  de.scribed  by  Dr.  Hrdlicka  in  a report 
which,  as  we  have  said,  forms  the  concluding  portion  of  this  part  of  our  report. 


488  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Many  fragments  of  crania,  of  consiileralde  size,  were  found,  some  showing 
marks  of  post-natal  compression  and  some  evidently  being  parts  of  normal  skulls. 

No  fixed  orientation  as  to  the  head  was  noted  in  the  burials  found,  skeletons 
having  been  interred  with  the  sknlls  pointing  in  all  directions. 

The  forms  of  burial  were  as  follows  : 

Full  length  on  back,  31.^ 

Closely  flexed,  lying  on  the  right  side,  5. 

Closely  Hexed,  lying  on  the  left  side,  4. 

Closely  flexed,  face  down,  1. 

Partly  Hexed,  lying  on  the  right  side,  IT. 

Partly  Hexed,  lying  on  the  left  side,  5. 

On  back,  the  limbs  widely  separated,  1. 

Full  length  on  back,  feet  crossed,  1. 

Trunk  on  back,  knees  slightly  flexed  to  the  right,  1. 

Bunched  burials,  39.^ 

Bunches  or  aboriginal  disturbances,  2. 

Disturbances,  modern  and  aboriginal,  18. 

Layers  of  bones,  2. 

Children,  bones  often  too  decayed  for  determination  of  position,  23. 

Badly  decayed  adult  bones,  2. 

Incompletely  described  in  field-notes,  6. 

Particularly  described,  2. 

The  two  burials  to  be  particularly  described  are  as  follows  ; 

Burial  No.  12  was  the  skeleton  of  an  adolescent,  fifteen  inches  down,  head 
NW.,  trunk  on  the  back,  the  lower  extremities  turned  to  the  left  and  slightly 
Hexed,  the  legs  being  drawn  tightly  against  the  thighs. 

Burial  No.  108,  fourteen  inches  below  the  surface,  was  a skeleton  of  an  ailult, 
Avith  parts  detached,  yet  not  exactly  a bunch. 

We  shall  noAV  de.scribe  in  detail  certain  burials  Avhich  arc  included  in  the  fore- 
going list,  to  introduce  the  association  of  artifacts.  All  individual  skeletons  not 
otherwise  defined  Avere  those  of  adults. 

Burial  No.  9,  sixteen  inches  down,  consisted  of  a bunch  of  children’s  bones, 
including  three  skulls.  Near  one  skull  Avere  nine  fresh-Avater,  univah'e  shells, 
kindly  identified  by  Dr.  II.  A.  Pilsbry  as  Mvipanis  subpiirpnrciis,  the  upper  por- 
tions cut  off  to  alloAv  the  use  of  the  shells  as  beads. 

Burial  No.  10,  eighteen  inches  deep  (all  depths  are  taken  to  the  upper 
surface  of  the  burials),  consisted  of  a mass  of  bones  in  a grave  distinctly  traceable 
from  the  surface  down. 

These  bones,  an  ideal  exam[)le  of  the  bunched  form  of  burial  (Fig.  1),  lay  in 
a symmetrical  pile,  the  long-bones  j)arallel,  the  smaller  bones  stoAved  aAvay  here 
and  there  betAveen  them. 

> Two  children  lying  side  by  side  in  one  grave  are  included  as  a single  burial. 

*()ne  consisting  of  bones  of  three  children.  Some  bunches  had  two,  three,  four,  five,  and  two 
had  seven  skulls  each. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  489 


At  one  end  of  the  ]>ile  were  three  skulls  ; two  of  these,  one  of  an  adult,  and 
one  of  a child,  lay  side  hy  side  on  the  base  of  the  grave  with  the  skull  of  a child 
upon  them.  Immediately  behind  these  skulls,  in  among  the  long-hones,  was  the 
skull  of  another  child. 

This  bunched  burial  lay  ENE.  and  WSW.,  the  skulls  being  at  the  eastern  end. 

The  dimensions  of  the  pile,  which  apparently  included  a full  complement  of 
bones  for  four  skeletoms,  were;  length,  29  inches;  breadth,  15  inches;  height,  7 
inches. 


Fig.  1.  — Burial  Xo.  10,  a bunched  burial.  Xear  Menard  Mound. 

Near  the  hunch  lay  an  undecorated  bowl  of  earthenware. 

The  adult  skull  from  this  burial,  showing  cranial  compression,  is  one  of  those 
sent  by  us  to  the  National  Museum. 

Burial  No.  13  was  a great  layer  of  mingled  bones  representing  a number  of 
skeletons  and  covering  a considerable  are.a.  With  this  burial  were  the  bases  of 
several  bowls  or  bottles,  the  upper  parts  of  which  had  been  plowed  away,  and  a 


62  JOURX.  A.  X.  s.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


490  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


number  of  bone  pins,  some  with  carved  heads,  lying  parallel  one  to  another  in  a 
heap  (Fig.  2). 

Burial  No.  46,  a skeleton  lying  partly  lie.xed  on  the  right  side,  had,  near 
the  skull,  a water-bottle  and  a vessel  of  a conventionalized  shell-form,  this  latter 
vessel  lying  inverted  over  a mass  of  kaolin — white  clay  used  by  the  aborigines  for 
paint.  Glass  beads  were  near  the  skull. 

Burial  No.  48,  closely  Hexed  on  the  right  side,  had,  at  the  skull,  a l>ottle 
and  two  inverted  bowls,  in  one  of  which  latter  was  a musselshell. 

At  the  chin  of  the  skull  were  four  pebbles,  one  pebl)le-hanimer,  and  a mass  of 
kaolin. 

Burial  No.  69,  two  feet  down,  was  a bunched  burial,  very  symmetrically 
arranged,  the  long-bones  parallel,  smaller  bones  stowed  in  between,  the  presence  of 
fifteen  humeri  showing  that  the  remains  of  at  least  eight  individuals  were  repre- 
sented in  the  burial.  Though  a number  of  lower  jaws  were  present,  only  a single 
fragment  of  any  other  cranial  part  was  found. 

Burial  No.  73  was  the  remains  of  a skeleton  of  a child,  with  an  undeco- 
rated bowl  and  Vessel  No.  lt)3,  a line,  polished  efiigy  bottle  of  black  ware  (Fig. 
16),  representing  a seated  child  with  chubby  legs  extended,  no  doubt  the  property 
of  the  child  when  alive. 

Burial  No.  78,  an  interesting  bunched  burial,  similar  to  several  found  by 
us  near  the  Menard  mound,  consisted  of  a little  pit  with  a lot  of  long-bones  care- 
fully put  in  perpendicularly,  and  surmounted  by  a skull.  Near  the  skull  were  two 
vessels,  one  on  its  side  and  in  contact  with  the  bones. 

Burial  No.  160,  partly  Hexed  on  the  right  side,  had  shell  beads  at  the  neck;  a 
water-bottle  near  the  skull ; and  near  the  bottle  a mass  of  red  pigment,  to  which 
allusion  has  already  been  made,  and  which  Dr.  II.  F.  Keller  lias  determined  to  be 
a mixture  of  clay  and  oxide  of  iron,  with  a not  very  high  percentage  of  the  latter. 

Tliere  were  found  near  the  Menard  mound,  glass  beads  with  four  burials;  brass 
beads  or  small  ornaments  of  lirass,  with  live  burials;  and  copper  beads  with  one 
burial. 

In  one  instance,  a small  mass  of  iron,  badly  rusted,  lay  with  brass;  and  once 
small  ornaments  were  so  badly  decayed  that  it  was  impossible  to  determine  whether 
they  were  of  brass  or  of  copper. 

Under  the  skull  of  a skeleton  lay  a small  stone  hatchet,  and  several  hatchets 
(one  of  hornstone  having  an  extremely  sharp  cutting  edge)  were  1‘ound  apart  I'rom 
human  remains  in  the  midden  debris  where  most  of  the  burials  were.  A grace- 
fully-made  hatchet  of  fair  size,  from  the  Wallace  field,  was  given  by  us  to  Mr. 
Wallace,  without  determining  the  stone  of  which  it  is  made. 

Small  (piantitics  of  shell  beads  lay  with  several  burials. 

With  a burial  was  a tooth  kindly  identified  by  Brof.  F.  A.  Uucas  as  the  right 
upper  incisor  of  a beaver.  We  are  also  indebted  to  Professor  Lucas  for  identifica- 
tion of  other  material  from  dwelling-sites  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Menard  mound, 
as  follows:  a single  canine  tooth  and  the  lower  jaw  of  a black  Ijear;  part  of  the 


Fig.  2. — Bone  pins  with  Burial  Xo.  13.  Near  Menard  Mound.  (Full  size.) 


492  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 

skull  of  a Virginia  deer,  which  had  been  very  neatly  opened  to  extract  the 
brains”  ; “parts  of  the  right  hnmerns  and  right  radius  of  a bull  bniralo,  both  from 
tlie  same  animal.” 

There'were  many  bison  bones  in  the  Wallace  field,  some  of  considerable  size. 

Apart  from  burials  were  found  : an  awl  of  bone ; tines  of  deer  antlers,  neatly  sev- 
ered from  the  horn  by  a cutting  tool ; a tubular  bead  of  earthenware,  1.5  inches  long, 
.5  inch  thick;  several  pottery  discs;  several  stone  discs,  none  more  than  3 inches 
in  diameter;  a large  pebl)le  worked  into  the  form  of  a barrel,  with  a neatly  drilled 
hole  at  one  end,  .6  of  an  inch  in  diameter  and  somewlnit  more  than  .5  of  an  inch 
in  depth,  with  a considerable  core  remaining  at  the  base  ; numerous  rude  arrowheads 
and  knives,  of  chert;  small  cutting  implements  of  the  same  material;  and  a num- 
ber of  chisels,  each  several  inches  in  length,  wrought  from  pebbles  and  having  the 
original  surface  of  the  pebble  still  remaining  in  part. 

A flat  pebble  about  one  inch  in  diameter  was  picked  up  on  the  surface ; another 

pebble  having  a length  of  about  two 
inches  was  found  with  the  skeleton  of  a 
child.  Both  are  shown  in  Fig.  3. 

In  the  Wallace  field  was  found  a 
fragment  of  a conglomerate  rock  of  high 
specific  gravity,  polished  on  both  sides. 
Judging  by  the  curvature  of  its  inner 
and  outer  surfaces,  it  is  evidently  part  of 
a large  vessel. 

We  know  the  aborigines  who  inhab- 
ited the  vicinity  of  the  Menard  mound 
were  carvers  of  stone  of  no  mean  ability, 
as  it  was  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  AV.  N.  Al- 
mond, about  two  miles  from  the  mound, 
that  Mr.  Almond  plowed  up  the  two  stone  pipes  and  the  beautiful  ceremonial 
palette  of  stone  shown  in  The  American  Anticpuirian  ” ' and  subsequently  referred 
to  1)3'  Professor  Holmes"  in  an  instructive  paper. 

We  visited  Mr.  Almond  and,  with  his  permission,  dug  where  the  disc  had  been 
found,  but  without  result. 

The  palette  and  pipes  are  now  owned  by  Mr.  11.  L.  Stoddard,  of  Stuttgart,  Ark. 

From  a low  mound  in  the  Wallace  field  came  a quartz  crystal  bearing  no 
groove  for  suspension.  Father  Le  Petit, ^ speaking  of  the  Natchez  Indians,  describes 
their  idols  as  figures  of  stone  or  of  baked  clay ; also  bones  of  big  fish  and  bits  of 
crystal;  and  Father  (Iravier"*  tells  of  a bit  of  crystal  in  the  Natchez  temple. 

At  the  present  time  many  and  beautiful  specimens  of  (juartz  crystals  come 
fi*om  the  Hot  Springs,  Ark. 

> Miiv  and  June,  1U04,  pp.  154,  155. 

Certain  Notclied  or  Scallopped  Stone  Tablets  of  the  Moundbuilders,”  Amer.  Anthropologist, 
Jan. -March,  1906. 

’ French,  Hist.  Coll,  of  La.,  Part  III,  p.  141. 

* French,  Hist.  Coll,  of  La.  and  Fla.,  1875,  p.  82. 


Fig.  3. — Perforated  pebbles,  near  Menard  Mound. 
(Full  size.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  493 


Also  in  midden  refuse  was  part  of  a bowl  of  a rude  pipe  of  earthenware. 
Professor  Holmes,  speaking  of  the  earthenware  pipes  of  the  region  of  which  the 
Arkansas  valley  forms  part,  truly  says  0 “In  the  central  and  southwestern  sec- 
tions pipes  were  for  the  most  })art  remarkably  rude  and  without  grace  of  outline, 
and  generally  without  embellishment,  while  the  earthenware  of  the  same  territory 
was  well  made  and  exhibits  pronounced  indications  of  esthetic  appreciation  on  the 
part  of  the  potters.” 

Two  hundred  and  fourteen  vessels  of  eartheiiAvare,  mostly  undecorated  and  of 
ordinary  form,  came  from  the  neighborhood  of  the  Menard  mound.  In  this  number 
we  include  all  vessels,  broken  and  whole,  and  fragments  large  enough  to  show  that 
a vessel  had  been  interred. 

While  some  burials  were  without  accompanying  pottery,  the  majority  of  inter- 
ments had  a mortuary  tribute  of  this  kind,  especially  in  the  Menard  place  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  mound,  and  in  Mr.  ^Vallace’s  field. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  few  burials  found  by  us  in  the  Avoods,  and  a fiiir  num- 
ber of  skeletons  in  Mr.  Plant’s  field,  Avere  Avithout  artihicts  of  any  sort. 

As  a general  rule,  A-essels  lay  near  the  heads  of  burials  and  Avere  usually  single 
or  a pair.  In  exceptional  cases  A^essels  Avere  found  by  us  at  other  parts  of  the 
skeletons,  and  on  one  occasion  so  many  as  ten  Avere  found  Avith  a single  burial. 

More  fully  to  illustrate  certain  of  these  exceptional  cases,  Ave  shall  describe 
some  of  the  noteAvorthy  burials  in  detail. 

Burial  No.  02,  bones  of  a child,  had  at  the  skull  two  boAvls  of  moderate  size, 
one  inverted ; a small  bottle,  and  a diminutive  saucer  placed  on  its  edge. 

Burial  No.  83,  the  skull  of  a child  from  Avhich  the  remaining  bones  probably 
had  disappeared  through  decay,  had  around  it  no  fcAver  than  ten  A^essels,  compris- 
ing tAvo  nests  of  three  each  and  four  vessels  placed  singly,  the  skull  being  entirely 
surrounded. 

Burial  No.  98,  a skeleton  lying  partly  flexed  on  the  right  side,  had  near  the 
pelvis,  and  also  near  the  feet,  Avhich  draAvn  back,  approached  the  pelvis,  an  inverted 
boAvl  more  or  less  coA’ering  tAvo  small,  inverted  boAvls,  side  by  side,  Avhich  Avere  lying 
on  a fourth  boAvl,  also  iuA'erted.  In  contact  Avith  this  mass  of  pottery  Avas  a small 
boAvl  tilted  on  its  side. 

Incidentally,  Ave  may  say  that  decayed  shell  beads  Avere  at  the  neck  of  the 
skeleton,  and  a knife  Avrought  from  a chert  pebble  lay  near  the  skull. 

Burial  No.  150  consisted  of  a bunch  of  bones  Avith  three  skulls,  one  of  them 
being  that  of  a child.  Crushed  against  one  skull  Avas  an  inverted  1x)av1,  and  nearby 
Avere  a teapot-shaped  A^essel,  in  fragments,  and  a boAvl. 

Near  the  child’s  skull  Averc  tAvo  small  water-bottles,  Avhile  the  other  adult 
skull  had  near  it  a A^essel  of  eccentric  form. 

The  crania  in  this  bunch  lay  separated  one  from  another,  the  child’s  skull  being 
on  top,  one  adult’s  skull  at  one  end,  and  the  remaining  skull  somewhat  at  the  side. 

> “Aboriginal  Pottery  of  Eastern  United  States,”  Twentieth  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ethnol.,  p.  98. 


494  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Wo  shall  now  describe  in  detail  the  more  noteworthy  vessels  from  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Menard  mound. 

Vessel  No.  34.  This  beautiful  bottle  (Plate  XIII)  is  one  of  the  very  few  ves- 
sels found  hy  us  on  the  lower  Arkansas  river  showing  in  two  colors  a design  other 
than  the  scroll.  The  ware  is  light  yellow.  The  bod}'  is  globular,  but  projects 
somewhat  at  the  base,  which  is  flattened.  The  long,  graceful  neck,  Haring  toward 
the  aperture,  is  coated  with  pigment,  brick-red  in  color.  Around  the  body  are 
spaces  of  the  yellow  ware,  defined  by  white  pigment.  Tliese  spaces,  circular  on 
top,  with  extensions  tapering  downward,  have  precisely  the  shape  of  the  co}>per 
pendants  found  by  us  in  the  great  prehistoric  site  at  Moundville,  Ala.,  the  circular 
portions  of  which  contain  either  swastikas  or  stars.  On  this  vessel  similar  spaces 
enclose  live-pointed  stars  on  the  upper  row,  and  figures  somewhat  resembling  an 
arrowhead  on  the  lower  tier.  All  these  stars  and  projectile  points  (if  that  is  what 
the  latter  re])resent)  are  colored  with  brick-red  pigment. 

The  star  does  not  seem  to  have  been  extensively  employed  on  the  ware  of  the 
middle  Mississippi  region.  An  example,  however,  is  described  as  coming  from 
southern  Missouri.* 

Vessel  No.  170  is  a bottle  of  yellow  ware,  4.7  inches  in  height,  with  red  pig- 
ment exteriorly  on  the  neck.  The  decoration  on  the  body  consists  of  four  irregular 
circles  of  solid  color,  red  and  white  alternately.  Each  of  these  circles  is  surrounded 
hy  a circular  space  without  paint,  showing  yellow  ware,  which  space  is,  in  turn, 
enclosed  in  a painted  circle,  white  around  the  red  and  red  around  the  white  The 
same  style  of  decoration  may  be  seen  on  the  small  ‘teapot’’  vessel  in  Plate  XX. 

Vessel  No,  194,  of  dark  ware  (Fig.  4),  is  of  the  “teapot”  variety  which,  as 
we  have  said  in  our  introductory  remarks,  is  found  only  in  eastern  Arkansas  or  in 
nearby  regions. 

It  seems  to  us  there  is  a possibility  that  this  type  of  vessel  may  be  derived 
from  the  gourd,  although  vessels  that  unmistakably  represent  the  gourd  usually 
have  a small  depression  opposite  the  neck,  or  extended  part,  though  such  is  not 
invariably  the  case,  as  we  have  seen  a few  examples  in  which  the  knob  and  not 
the  depression  is  present.  In  Fig.  5 is  shown  a gourd-vessel  from  southern  Mis- 
souri,^ which,  were  the  upper  i>art  of  the  neck  cut  away  and  a smaller  aperture 
j)resent  on  the  top,  could  well  be  a vessel  of  the  “ teapot  ” class. 

Vessel  No.  78  is  a toy-vessel  of  dark  ware,  of  the  “teapot’’  variety  (Fig.  6), 
the  smallest  of  this  kind  found  by  us  along  the  Arkansas  river.  The  spout  and 
part  of  the  opening  have  been  restored. 

Vessel  No.  64  also  belongs  to  the  “ teapot  ” variety,  and  is  7.6  inches  in  height. 
The  vessel  has  a uniform  coating  of  red  pigment,  which  is  well  preserved  and 
gives  the  vessel  a rich  and  striking  appearance. 

Vessel  No.  166  is  another  of  the  “tea[)ot”  form,  coated  with  red  })igment. 
Its  height  is  3 inches,  a size  evidently  litting  it  lor  a child’s  use.  In  this  particular 

' Dr.  Edward  PA'er-s,  “ Arcliieology  of  Missouri,”  Part  I,  PI.  IV,  Fig.  1. 

^ Evers,  op.  cit.,  PI.  XIV,  No.  22M. 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND.  SER.,  VOL.  XIII. 


PLATE  XIII. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 

NEAR  MENARD  MOUND,  VESSEL  NO.  34.  (height,  9.6  inches.) 


Cockayne,  Boston. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI 


495 


Fig.  4. — Vessel  No.  194,  of  the  “ teapot  ” variety. 


Near  Menard  Mound.  (Height  6.25  inches.) 


496  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


instance  there  was  a group  of  five  vessels,  mostly  small,  with  no  human  remains 
visibly  in  association.  Presumably  the  skeleton  of  an  infant  had  disappeared 
through  decay. 

\"cssel  No.  82  is  another  of  the  “ teapots,”  3.8  inches  in  height,  with  a coating 
of  red  pigment,  somewhat  worn  in  places.  In  relief  on  two  opposite  sides  are  mod- 
eled the  legs  of  a frog.  The  head,  which  has  been  on  that  part  of  the  vessel  o]>po- 
site  the  spout,  is  missing  through  breakage  in  aboriginal  times.  M"e  shall  figure  in 
its  proper  place  a more  complete  frog-“  teapot  ” from  another  site.  (See  Plate  XVI.) 


Fig.  7. — Ve.ssel  Xo.  91.  Xear  Menard  Mound.  (Diameter  of  bowl  7.5  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  91,  of  dark  ware,  is  a life-form  representing  a quadruped,  the  legs 
being  used  as  supports  for  the  vessel.  On  one  side  is  a small  head  which  does  not 
aid  us  in  determining  the  animal  re^iresented,  while  on  the  opposite  side  is  a tail 
turned  downward.  The  decoration,  made  with  a broad,  trailing  point,  is  of  the 
scroll  variety  (Fig.  7). 

Ves.sel  No.  50  is  a graceful  bottle  of  yellow  ware,  with  a neck  first  contracting, 
then  flaring.  The  decoration  consists  of  a coating  of  red  pigment  on  the  neck  and, 
on  the  body,  partly  interlocked  scrolls  in  red  and  white,  as  shown  in  Plate  X!\'. 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND.  SER.,  VOL.  XIII. 


PLATE  XIV. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 

NEAR  MENARD  MOUND,  VESSEL  NO.  50.  (HEIGHT,  9.5  inches.) 


Cockayne,  Boston, 


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-4^  f?  _.J  7 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 
NEAR  MENARD  MOUND,  VESSEL  NO.  133.  (FULI.  size.) 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND.  SER.,  VOL.  XIII. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  497 


So  many  vessels  of  this  type  and  style  of  decoration  were  found  In-  ns  along  the 
Arkansas  river  that  we  sliall  not  describe  particnlarly  any  other  than  this  one. 

Vessel  No.  38.  This  gracefnl  vessel,  sliown  in  Fig.  8,  is  of  black  ware,  and 
has  an  evenly  made  decoration  of  trailed,  broad  lines,  which  is  precisely  similar  to 
one  shown  l)y  Profess<jr  Holmes*  and  described  as  coming  from  the  lower  Missis- 
sippi region. 

Vessel  No.  (15  is  a bottle  of  dark  ware,  ellipsoidal  in  shape,  bearing  on  one 
side,  partly  incised  and  partly  in  relief,  the  head  perhaps  of  a quadruped  or  possi- 
bly of  a fish.  On  the  o[)posite  side  appears  an  upraised  tail.  The  eyes  are  dis- 
tinctly aboriginal  in  execution  (Fig.  9). 


Fia.  8.— Vessel  Xo.  38.  Near  .Menard  .Mound.  (Diameter  7.3  inches.) 


An  almost  exact  counterpart  of  this  vessel,  which  also  came  from  near  the 
Menard  mound,  is  twice  figured  by  Professor  Holmes.^ 

Vessel  No.  133  is  a bottle  of  yellow  ware,  well  coated  with  red  pigment,  and 
represents  a deep-bodied  fish  similar  to  the  sunfish.  The  head  and  tail  project 
from  the  body  of  the  vessel  as  do  ventral  and  dorsal  fins  (Plate  XV).  In  the  plate 
the  neck  of  the  vessel,  which  is  l.G  inches  in  length,  of  necessity  appears  some- 
what foreshortened.  The  aperture  is  slightly  exaggerated  in  siz.e  owing  to  its  prox- 

>“  Aboriginal  I’otterv  of  the  Eastern  United  States,”  Twentietli  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Ain.  Ethnol., 
Pis.  Lid  and  LHIh. 

^ Third  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ethnol.,  p.  482.  Twentieth  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ethnol.,  PI. 
XXIIld. 

63  JOURX.  A.  X.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


498  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


irnity  to  the  camera  in  the  initial  process  of  preparation  of  the  })Iate.  Around  the 
neck  is  considerable  abrasion,  as  b)’  the  use  of  a cord  for  suspension. 

Vessel  No.  185  is  a bottle  oI‘  yellow  ware,  5.3  inches  high,  also  a life-form 
representing  a fish  not  unlike  the  one  just  described.  Much  of  its  original  coating 
of  red  paint  has  been  worn  away. 


Fig.  9. — Vessel  No.  (Jo.  Near  Menard  Mound.  (Height  5.6  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  G1  is  a bottle  of  rather  coar.se,  yellow  ware,  the  body  ovoid  with 
flattened  base.  The  incised  decoration,  rather  roughly  executed,  consists  ol  a 
meander  surrounding  circles  (Fig,  10). 

Vessel  No.  30  is  a wide-mouthed  water-bottle  or  jar,  of  dark  and  rather 
porous  ware.  The  decoration,  which  is  of  broad,  trailed  lines,  is  a volute  design 
five  times  shown  (Fig.  11). 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  499 


Vessel  No.  3G  is  a graceful  bottle  of  dark  ware,  having  a design  of  which  the 
scroll  forms  part,  conferred  by  imprints  of  a blunt-pointed  implement,  as  sliown  in 
Fig.  12. 

Vessel  No.  02  is  an  undecorated  bottle  of  dark,  porous  ware,  shown  in  Fig.  13. 

Vessel  No.  31  is  a wide-mouthed  bottle  or  jar,  of  dark  ware,  having  a hemi- 
spherical body  on  which  is  a meander  decoration  consisting  of  three  parallel  bands 
of  punctate  markings  enclosed  within  parallel  lines  (Fig.  14).  In  addition,  on  the 
base  is  a design  represented  in  Fig.  15. 


Fig.  10. — Vessel  Xo.  Gl.  Near  Menard  Mound.  (Height  9.9  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  102  (Figs.  10,  17)  is  a human  efligy- vessel  of  hard,  dark  ware,  to 
which  reference  has  been  made  in  an  earlier  part  of  this  report.  This  life-form 
represents  a child  with  its  plump  legs  extended,  and  doubtless  has  been  the  prop- 
erty of  the  little  one  with  whose  remains  it  was  found. 

Vessel  No.  88  is  a pot  of  yellow  ware,  with  a design  in  which  the  scroll  con- 
ferred by  a broad-pointed  tool  trailed  over  the  surface,  figures  in  combination  with 
punctate  markings  (Fig.  18). 


500  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI 


Fig.  11. — Vessel  Xo.  30.  Near  Meuard  Mound.  (Height  7.3  inches.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  501 


Fig.  12. — Vessel  Xo.  36.  Near  .Menard  .Mound.  (Height  9.7  inches.) 


502  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI 


Fig.  15. — Vessel  Xo.  31.  Decoration  of  base. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  503 


Vessel  No.  35,  of  dark  ware,  G.7  inches  in  height,  with  a circular  opening  at  the 

top,  near  which  is  a small  knob,  is  intended  to  rep- 
resent a gourd.  An  almost  exactly  similar  vessel 
from  Arkansas  is  figured  by  Professor  Holmes.' 

Vessel  No.  208,  a vase  of  gray,  porous  ware, 
liglit  in  weight,  with  base  resembling  a much  trun- 
cated cone  reversed  (Fig.  19),  has  an  interesting 
incised  decoration  around  the  body  (Fig.  20),  sug 
gestive  of  the  bird-head  motive. 

\ essel  No.  200  is  a vase  of  gray,  porous  ware, 
of  somewhat  unusual  form,  without  decoration 
(Fig.  21). 

A'essel  No.  55.  We  have  here  a bowl  of  yel- 
low ware  (Fig.  22),  with  an  interior  coating  of  red 
paint  and  a band  of  red  pigment  below  the  margin 
on  the  outside,  such  as  is  usually  found  on  vessels 
of  this  character  along  the  lower  Arkansas  river. 
On  one  side  is  a rudelj-  modeled  human  head  with 
high  crest,  looking  outward  ; on  the  other  side,  the 
conventional  tail — both  head  and  tail  having  a 
coating  of  red  pigment. 

Vessel  No.  114  (Fig.  23)  differs  from  the  one 
just  described  in  minor  details  only. 

Fig.  13. — Vessel  Xo.  62.  Near  Menard  t-  i 'V'  l i • l 1 i*  

Mound.  (Height  7.2  inches.)  ^ OSSCl  No.  1(4  IS  a bowl  of  COarSt,  3'elloW 


Fig.  14. — Vessel  No.  31.  Near  Menard  Mound.  (Diameter  7.4  inches.) 


Twentieth  Ami.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Etlmol.,  PI.  XfXf‘. 


504  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


FiCt.  16. — Vessel  Xo.  102.  Xear  Mcnaid  Mound.  (Heiglit  6.8  inelics.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Fl(i.  17. — Vessel  No.  102.  Side  view. 


64  JOURX.  A.  X.  S.  PHIL.\..  VOL  XIII. 


506  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


F'ig.  18. — Vessel  Xo.  88.  Near  Menard  Mound.  (Diameter  4.5  inclies.) 


Fig.  19. — Ves-sel  No.  208.  Near  Menard  Mound.  (Diameter  6.3  inches.) 


Fig.  20. — Vessel  No.  208.  Decoration.  (Half  size.) 


CEPxTAlN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  507 


Frci.  21. — Vessel  Xo.  200.  Xear  Menard  Mound.  (Diameter  4.9  inches.) 


508  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


ware  (Fig.  24)  with  pigment  decoration,  having  the  head  of  a bird  modeled  on  one 
side  and  conventional  tail  on  the  oj)posite  side. 

^ essel  No.  171,  a bowl  of  yellow  ware,  having  on  each  side,  marginally,  a 


Fig.  23.— Vessel  No.  114.  Xear  Menard  Mound.  (Diameter  8.1  inches.) 


band  of  red  pigment,  and  in  the  lower  part  of  the  interior,  shown  in  red  pigment, 
the  circle  and  cross,  /.c.,  the  symbol  of  the  sun  and  the  four  winds,  or  directions 
(Fig.  25). 


Fig.  24. — Vessel  No.  174.  Near  Menard  Mound.  (Diameter  10  inches.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  509 


.loutol  ‘ (1687)  tells  in  a most  interesting  way  how  the  Cenis  (Ilasinai,  or 
Caddo)  Indians  of  Texas,  in  celebrating  a suceessfnl  battle,  held  out  scalps  toward 
the  four  directions. 

Vessel  No.  139  is  a bowl  (Fig.  26)  similar  to  the  one  just  described,  with  the 
addition  of  ecjnidistant,  festooned  bands  of  red  pigment  between  the  arms  of  the 
cross.  These  semicircles  probably  represent  (a  part  for  the  whole)  entire  circles, 
or  sun  synd)ols.' 


Fig.  2.). — Vessel  Xo.  171.  Xear  Menard  Mound.  (Diameter  7 indies.) 


Ne.\r  Sam'yer’s  Landing,  Arkansas  County. 

Sawyer’s  Landing  is  five  miles,  approximately,  by  water,  below  Arkansas 
Post,  on  the  same  side  of  the  river. 

About  one  mile  in  a southeasterly  direction  I'rom  the  landing  is  the  home  of  a 
colored  family  named  Johnson,  in  front  of  whose  doorway  is  a small  mound  in 
which  onr  search  was  not  rewarded. 

> French,  Ili.st.  Coll,  of  La.,  Part  I,  p.  161. 

* Charles  C.  Willoughby,  “ An  Analysis  of  the  Decorations  upon  Pottery  from  the  Mississippi 
Valiev,”  Journ.  Am.  Folk-Lore,  Vol.  X,  185(7,  p.  13. 


510  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


A large  field  adjacent  to  the  Johnson  property,  which  had  been  under  cnlti ca- 
tion but  was  fallow  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  was  placed  at  our  disposal  by  Messrs. 
Pettit  and  Pettit,  of  Stuttgart,  Ark.,  to  whom  the  warm  thanks  of  the  Academy 
are  tendered. 

On  the  surface  we  found  a brass  disc  about  1.5  inches  in  diameter,  with  a cen- 
tral perforation.  Analysis  by  Doctor  Keller  showed  the  disc  to  be  of  very  impure 
brass,  containing,  besides  copper  and  zinc,  very  considerable  amounts  of  lead  and 
iron,  as  well  as  traces  of  arsenic  and  silver. 


Kio.  2(). — Vessel  Xo.  139.  Near  Menard  Mound.  (Diameter  6.5  inches.) 


We  devoted  part  of  <‘i  forenoon  to  this  field,  sinking  holes  here  and  there,  with 
the  result  that  seven  burials  were  met  with,  all  near  together,  in  the  highest  part 
of  the  field. 

Six  ol  these  burials  certainlv  were  of  the  bunched  varietv,  one  containing 
bones  belonging  to  at  least  two  skeletons.  The  remaining  burial — probably  a 
bunch  also — had  been  disturbed  by  recent  cultivation. 

No  bones  were  in  a condition  to  save. 

Twelve  vessels  were  found  in  connection  with  these  burials,  many  crushed  and 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  511 


some  broken  by  the  plow.  Some  burials  were  without  artifacts,  while  as  many  as 
four  vessels  lay  with  one  interment,  a water-bottle  having  been  placed  on  top  of 
three  small,  shallow  bowls,  arranged  one  above  the  other. 

I'essel  No.  5,  of  yellow  ware,  is  a bowl  Avith  a bird’s  head  on  one  side,  and  a 
conventional  tail  on  the  other.  The  only  point  of  interest  about  this  vessel  is  that 
the  crest  of  the  bird  is  repre.sented  by  e.xcisions,  an  unusual  method  (Fig.  27). 

Vessel  No.  7 is  a small  bowl  Avith  the  head  of  a frog  extending  forward  from 
it,  and  fore-legs  and  hind-legs  modeled  in  relief. 


Fig.  27. — A'essel  No.  5.  Near  Sawyer’s  Landing.  (Diameter  8.75  indies.) 


The  aboriginal  artist  has  not  been  trammeled  by  details,  as  the  fore-feet  of 
the  frog  are  represented  Avith  three  toes  each  and  the  hind-feet  each  Avith  four  toes 
— one  too  feAv  in  each  case,  as  the  reader  is  doubtless  aAvare. 

Near  Old  River  Landing.  Arkansas  County. 

Old  riA’er  (a  former  course  of  the  Arkansas)  is  about  3.5  miles  above  Arkansas 
Post,  folloAving  the  riA'er,  on  the  same  side. 


512  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


By  landing  at  the  lower  side  of  the  lower  month  of  Old  river  and  following  a 
road  parallel  to  it,  about  1.5  miles,  we  reached  the  property  of  Mr.  II.  S.  Jones,  of 
Arkansas. Post,  to  whom  we  are  greatly  indebted  for  cordial  ])ermission  to  investi- 
gate whatever  portion  we  saw  lit. 

Near  the  road,  forming  part  of  Mr.  Jones’  property  is  a field  (twelve  acres  in 
extent,  we  are  informed),  at  the  eastern  corner  of  which  rises  a mound  about  5 
feet  in  lieightand  75  feet,  apjiroximately,  across  its  somewhat  irregular  base,  except 
where  a small  part  of  the  mound  is  cut  away  by  a cross-road,  where  the  diameter 
is,  of  course,  somewhat  less. 

Part  of  the  mound,  not  being  on  Mr.  Jones’  jiroperty,  was  not  dug  into  by  ns. 
The  part  investigated  yielded  nothing  except  the  neckless  body  of  a water-bottle, 
that  probably  got  in  with  the  clay  material  of  which  the  mound  is  made. 

The  history  of  the  twelve-acre  field  and  of  an  unenclo.sed  field  on  the  other 
side  of  the  cross-road,  which  latter  field  has  now  been  so  denuded  of  soil  by  heavy 
wash  of  rain  after  cultivation  that  careful  investigation  by  us  was  without  result, 
is  a long  list  of  discoveries  of  earthenware  vessels,  by  all  who  have  had  a hand  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  property. 

In  the  twelve-acre  field,  which  is  higher  than  most  of  the  surrounding  land 
and  is  not  subject  to  overflow,  and  in  the  adjacent  barnyard  of  Mr.  L.  F.  kShepherd, 
the  manager  of  the  property,  are  a number  of  circular  rises  of  the  ground,  all 
dwelling-sites  from  which,  with  the  exception  of  those  in  the  barnyard,  which  have 
not  been  under  cultivation,  the  ])low  had  turned  out  much  clay,  hard  and  red  from 
ancient  fires. 

Two  of  these  dwelling-sites  (those  nearest  the  mound)  were  each  about  40  feet 
in  diameter,  the  others  somewhat  less. 

The  sites,  nine  in  all,  were  carefully  dug  by  us  and  nearly  all  found  to  contain 
burials  and  artifacts,  but  to  a verv  different  extent. 

About  30  yards  W.  by  N.  from  the  mound  was  one  of  the  larger  elevations 
which  had  been  long  and  deeply  jilowed  over  and  doubtless  deprived  of  much  of 
its  original  contents,  many  of  the  burials  being  but  C inches  below  the  surface — 
the  upper  parts  of  the  most  deeply  buried  being  but  18  inches  down. 

From  this  site  came  thirty  burials,  thirty-four  additional  being  found  in  the 
other  dwelling-sites  which  had  been  less  deejily  j)lowed  and  conseipiently  in  which 
bones  and  artifacts  were  in  somewhat  better  condition. 

All  bones,  however,  were  badly  affected  by  decay  ; no  crania  were  saved,  but 
large  fragments  of  some  showed  moderate  artificial  cranial  compression. 

As  the  forms  of  burial  in  these  dwelling-sites  near  Old  Riv('r  Landing  pre- 
sented nothing  markedly  different  from  those  met  with  near  the  Menard  mound, 
they  will  not  be  described,  although  exact  details  are  given  in  onr  field-notes. 

In  one  dwelling-site  were  found  several  I)iirlals  which  we  could  not  positively 
assign  to  either  the  flexed  burial  or  to  the  bunched  method  of  interment.  These 
particular  burials,  each  made  u[)  of  the  parts  of  one  skeleton  only,  had  the  bones 
largely  in  place;  a few,  however,  were  in  disorder.  Presumably  these  latter  bones. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  513 


having  become  detached  in  the  dead-honse  or  on  their  way  to  the  place  of  burial, 
were  piled  in  indiscriminately  at  the  time  of  interment. 

The  yield  of  artifacts  other  than  pottery,  was  meager  indeed. 

AVith  a bunched  burial  was  a diminutive  pipe  of  limestone,  so  water-soaked 
that  parts  fell  from  it  on  removal. 

Near  the  skull  of  a bunched  burial  was  a quartz  crystal  showing  no  sign  of 
workmanship. 

Burial  No.  17,  consisting  of  what  was  left  by  decay  of  the  skeleton  of  an 
infant  or  of  a very  young  child,  had  with  it,  in  addition  to  two  earthenware  ves- 
sels, seven  cones  of  sheet-brass,  from  two  to  three  inches  in  height;  a number  of 
blue  glass  beads;  and  fifteen  very  roughly-made  shell  beads,  from  .4  of  an  inch  to 
somewhat  more  than  1 inch  in  length.  The  shell  beads  are  about  as  rough  in 
appearance  as  any  we  have  met  with  in  all  onr  experience,  being  little  more  than 
perforated  fragments  of  shell. 

Burial  No.  27,  a skeleton  of  an  adult,  partly  tlexed,  lying  on  the  left  side, 
besides  Iiaving  two  vessels  of  earthenware  near  the  skull  and  upper  part  of  the 
trunk,  had  near  tlie  neck  six  shell  beads,  or  rather  six  rough  sections  of  shell  that 
had  been  made  to  do  duty  as  beads,  one  of  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  28. 

With  another  burial  having  vessels  in  association  were  beads  of  blue  glass. 

Burial  No.  05,  the  skeleton  of  an  adult,  lying  partly  flexed  on  the  right  side, 
had  with  it,  in  addition  to  two  vessels,  two  small  “celts”  lying 
together  between  the  vessels  and  the  skull.  AVe  have  not 
thought  it  worth  while  to  mutilate  these  “celts”  for  micro- 
scopic slides  and  for  material  for  analysis,  to  determine  the  stone 
or  stones  of  which  they  are  made,  and  deem  it  useless  to  hazard 
a guess  on  the  subject. 

Another  small  “celt”  of  hornstone,  like  one  found  near 
the  Menard  mound,  is  remarkable  for  the  shar{)iiess  of  its  edge. 

In  debris  of  the  dwelling-sites  were  several  small  chisels 
wrought  from  pebbles  of  chert;  one  or  two  diminutive  “celts”  ; 
and  a canine  tooth  identified  bv  Professor  Lucas  as  having  belonged  to  a black 
bear. 

From  the  surface  of  the  two  fields  to  which  reference  has  been  made,  but 
doubtless  in  many  cases  })lowed  or  washed  from  dwelling-sites  now,  or  formerly,  on 
these  fields,  came  neatly-made  arrowheads  of  chert ; small  chisels  of  chipped  chert; 
diminutive  cutting-tools  of  like  material ; and  two  flat  pebbles  perforated  for  sus- 
pension, similar  to  those  from  near  the  Menard  mound. 

Associated  with  the  thirty  burials  encountered  in  the  dwelling-site  we  have 
referred  to,  were  forty-nine  vessels  of  earthenware — many,  however,  crushed  and 
broken. 

In  all  the  sites  examined  eighty-two  vessels  lay  with  the  sixty-four  burials,  if 
we  include  several  vessels  not  immediately  with  interments,  but  which  doubtless 
had  been  separated  from  them  by  the  plow. 


Fig.  28.— Shell  bead.  Old 
River  Landing.  (Full 
size.) 


6.0  JOURX.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


514  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  pottery  of  the  Old  River  dwelling-sites,  as  a rule,  lay  near  the  skull,  but, 
as  usual,  there  were  exceptions. 

Much  of  the  ware  was  inferior  in  cjuality  and  friable  to  the  last  degree  after 
its  long  exposure  to  continual  soaking  with  water. 


Fio.  29. — Vessel  Xo.  1.  01(1  Kiver  Landing.  (Height  8 inches.) 

As  a rule,  the  vessels  met  with  presented  no  novelty  in  form,  and  were  mainly 
})ots,  bowls,  and  bottles. 

Many  of  the  vessels  are  undecorated.  Pigment  is  the  jirincipal  form  of  deco- 
ration employed — red,  or  white  and  red  in  combination.  Exceptionally,  black 
coloring-material,  now  hardly  more  than  a stain  had  been  used. 

One  feature  connected  with  this  ])laee  was  new  in  our  experience.  Nearly  all 


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CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 

NEAR  OLD  RIVER  LANDING,  VESSEL  NO.  19.  (FULL  SIZE  I 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND.  SER.,  VOL.  XIII. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  515 


the  howls — and  a large  numl)er  ol‘  the  vessels  Ibimd  were  bowls — had  been  placed 
in  the  ground  inverted.  This  fact  may  denote  that  at  this  place  at  least,  the  bowls, 
when  placed  with  the  burials,  did  not  contain  ollerings  of  food. 

In  some  cases,  one  vessel  had  been  placed  within  another,  as,  for  instance,  a 
pot  resting  inverted  within  another  pot.  Another  vessel  was  found  turned  over  a 
smaller  one  which  was  itself  inverted. 

The  more  noteworthy  vessels  will  now  be  described  in  detail. 

Vessel  No.  19  is  an  interesting  example  of  the  life-form  and  “teapot”  vessel 
combined.  From  one  side  projects  the  head  of  a frog,  while  on  the  opposite  side 
is  the  spout  (a  restoration)  of  the  “teapot.”  In  connection  with  these  are  the  legs 
of  a frog  modeled  in  relief  (Plate  XVI).  The  ui)per  part  of  the  vessel  is  coated 
with  red  pigment,  while  the  lower  part  has  been  covered  with  white  coloring-mate- 
rial, now  largely  worn  away. 

Professor  Holmes,  as  we  have  noted  in  our  introductory  remarks,  describes^ 
and  ligures'  an  animal  form  “teapot”  from 
“ Mississippi.”  The  fine  specimen  referred 
to  by  him  differs  from  ours,  however,  in  that 
the  head  is  apparently  not  that  of  a frog, 
wdiile  the  legs,  instead  of  being  modeled  in 
relief  on  the  vessel,  e.xtend  vertically 
downward  and  serve  as  supports. 

V^essel  No.  1.  This  vessel,  a bottle, 
was  found  in  many  fragments  that  have 
since  been  cemented  together  with  slight 
restoration  of  the  body  and  almost  complete 
restoration  of  the  neck  (Fig.  29).  The  ware, 
which  is  yellow,  appears  in  but  two  or  three 
spots  where  the  painted  designs,  Avhich  are 
pink  and  Avhite,  are  not  in  contact  thi-ough 
oversight  (m  the  part  of  the  aboriginal 
artist.  Both  varieties  of  pigment  on  this  vessel  have  adhered  exceptionally  well, 
no  flaking  being  apparent. 

The  design  differs  from  that^  on  most  of  the  bottles  decorated  in  two  colors, 
met  with  by  us  along  the  lower  Arkansas  river,  and  consists  of  a current  scroll  in 
deep  pink  surrounding  the  body  of  the  vessel,  with  an  encircling  band  of  white  above 
and  below,  from  which  four  eciuidistant  arms  extend  downward  and  upward,  respec- 
tively, forming,  in  connection  with  each  other,  partly  interlocked  scrolls;  at  the 
same  time  the  upper  and  the  lower  circles  and  arms  form  swastikas  of  a pattern 
shown  in  Fig.  30. 

Ihe  neck  of  the  bottle  has  been  pink,  matching  the  current  scroll  decoration, 


I*  IG.  30. — Vessel  No.  1.  Part  of  the  decoration. 
(One-fifth  size.) 


516  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


and  a slight  extension  at  the  base  of  the  vessel,  having  a flat  under  surface,  is 
coated  with  pigment  of  the  same  shade  on  such  parts  as  are  visible. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  two  bottles  bearing  almost  exactly  similar  decora- 
tion to  that  just  described,  were  found  in  a mound  in  Coahoma  county,  Mississippi.’ 
Vessel  No.  28,  a gracefully  formed,  acorn-shaped  vessel  of  dark,  smooth  ware, 
4.5  inches  in  height,  bears  around  the  uj)per  })ortion  a design  six  times  shown,  con- 


Fig.  31. — Vessel  Xo.  2(i.  01*1  IJiver  Landing.  (Ileiglit  5.1  inches.) 


sisting  of  partly  interlocked  scrolls,  each  having  on  its  upper  part  a small,  roughly 
triangular  space  filled  with  reticulated  lines.  The  entire  design  is  a convention- 
alized decoration  derived  from  the  representation  of  crested  serpents  on  earthen- 
ware, the  evolution  of  which  we  have  shown  ^ step  by  step,  through  the  merging 

‘Charles  Peabodv,  “ Ex|)]oratioii  of  Mounds,  Coahoma  Countv,  Mississippi,”  I’eabody  Museum 
Tapers,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  2,  Tl.  XV. 

’ “ .Mouudville  Jievisited,”  Fig.  Go  to  Fig.  73,  inclusive,  dournal  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  of  Thiladelphia,  Vol.  XIII. 


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CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 

NEAR  OLD  RIVER  LANDING,  VESSEL  NO.  45.  (full  SIZE.) 


1 


1 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND.  SER.,  VOL.  XIII.  PLATE  XVll. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  517 


of  crested  serpents,  and  interlinked,  crested  scrolls,  down  to  the  scroll  pure  and 
simple. 

Vessel  No.  2(1  is  a bottle  of  dark  and  rather  inferior  ware,  with  double  encir- 
cling lines  of  projections  around  the  body  (Fig.  31). 

Vessel  No.  52.  This  curious  va.se  of  porous,  yellow  ware,  shown  in  three 
positions  in  Figs.  32,  33,  34,  bears  an  incised  decoration  representing  a face  on  one 
side  of  the  body  of  the  vessel,  and  scroll  designs  over  the  remaining  portions. 


I'lG.  32. — Vessel  No.  52.  Old  Kiver  Landing.  (Full  size.) 


Vessel  No.  45.  This  beautiful  vessel,  of  the  “teajiot”  variety  (Plate  XVII,) 
is  of  yellow  ware  and  has  a scroll  design  alternately  deep  red  and  pink.  The 
neck  is  red,  and  the  red  and  pink  scrolls  continue  up  the  spout,  as  does  a streak  of 
black  separating  the  other  two  colors.  The  base  is  black  (or  rather  has  been  black. 


518  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Fio.  33. — Ve.ssel  Xo.  5’.J.  Side  view.  (Full  size.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  519 


Fig.  34. — Vessel  Xo.  52.  B»ck  view.  (Full  size.) 


520  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


as  hardly  more  than  a stain  remains)  and  the  color  projects  n[)\vard  from  the  base 
between  the  pink  pigment  and  the  red. 

Vessel  No.  78  is  a bowl  of  dark  ware,  representing  a turtle  (Fig.  35),  the 
head,  tail,  and  dippers  projecting.  Two  holes  on  opposite  sides  of  the  vessel  have 
served  for  suspension. 

Vessel  No.  21,  a cooking-pot,  has  considerable  soot  still  adliering.  It  bears  a 


Fig.  35. — Ves.sel  No.  78.  Old  River  Landing.  (Dinnieter  6 inches.) 


rude  decoration  largely  made  up  of  concentric  circles,  probably  sun-symbols,  appar- 
ently made  by  the  imprint  of  coarse  cord  (Fig.  30). 

V^essel  No.  21a  is  a pot  of  yellow  ware,  with  the  curious  incised  decoration 
shown  in  Fig.  37.  This  vessel  has  been  in  use  for  culinary  purposes,  as  traces  of 
soot  remain  on  the  outside. 

Vessels  Nos.  9 and  27  are  bowls  of  moderate  size,  each  with  four  ecpiidistant 
loop-handles  below  the  rim,  and  an  upper,  outer,  encircling  band  of  red  pigment, 
somewhat  more  than  one  inch  in  width.  The  interiors  of  both  bowls  have  rich 
coatings  of  red  pigment. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  521 


Fig.  36. — Vessel  Xo.  21.  Old  River  Landing.  (Diameter  7.75  inclies.) 


Fig.  37. — Vessel  Xo.  21a.  Old  River  Landing.  (Height  4.8  inches.) 


66  JOURX.  X.  S.  PHIL.\.,  VOL.  XIII. 


522 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Vessel  No.  40  is  a bowl  (Fig.  38)  with  interior  eoating  of  red  paint  and  a band 
of  tlie  same  color,  about  one  inch  in  width  extending  below  the  rim.  A human 
head,  modeled  in  an  upright  position,  looks  outward  on  one  side  and  a conventional 
tail  projects  horizontally  from  the  opposite  side. 


Fl«.  3S. — Vessel  No.  4G.  Old  River  Landing.  (Diameter  7.4  inclies.) 


Fui.  39. — Vessel  No.  54.  Old  River  Landing.  (Diameter  7.3  inches.) 


Vessel  N(l  54,  decorated  with  red  pigment,  like  the  vessel  just  described,  has 
the  head  of  a bird  on  one  side  and  the  usual  conventional  tail  on  the  other  side 
(Fig.  39). 

Vessel  No.  14  is  a bowl  of  porous,  yellow  ware,  decorated  with  red  paint  in 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  xMISSISSIPPl.  523 


the  same  manner  as  are  the  two  last  preceding  vessels,  and  having,  in  place  of  a 
modeled  head  taken  from  life,  a diamond-shaped  figure  with  four  perforations. 
The  conventional  tail  is  present  (Fig.  40). 

Mouxi)  NE.\U  Ooi.DMAN  FlEI.I),  JeFFEKSON  CoUNTV. 

Goldman  field  is  on  the  bank  of  the  Arkansas  river  about  si.x  miles  by  water 
below  the  settlement  of  Douglas,  hut  on  the  opposite  side,  that  is  on  the  right-hand 
side,  going  up. 

In  woods  subject  to  overtlow,  about  one-half  mile  NW.  by  N.  from  Goldman 
field,  is  a mound  about  4.5  feet  high  and  87  feet  across  its  circular  base. 


Fig.  40.— Vessel  Xo.  14.  Old  River  Landing.  (Diameter  7.2  inches.) 


Thirteen  holes  were  sunk  by  us  in  this  mound,  resulting  in  the  discovery  of 
six  burials,  between  8 inches  and  38  inches  in  depth. 

Three  of  these  burials  consisted  of  layers  of  fragments  of  calcined  human 
bones,  one  layer  being  of  considerable  size,  the  bones  representing  several  indi- 
viduals. 

With  these  layers  were  charcoal  and  masses  of  cl 
cremation,  however,  did  not  appear  to  have  taken  jilace  in  the  mound,  but  else- 
where, the  reddened  clay  and  charcoal  seemingly  having  been  gathered  up  with 
the  bones  for  their  final  deposit. 

With  one  of  the  layers  of  calcined  bones  was  a “celt”  apparently  of  igneous 

rock. 

Two  of  the  burials  were  limited  each  to  a badly  decayed,  isolated  skull.  With 


ay  reddened  by  (ire.  The 


524  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


one  was  an  undeoorated  bowl;  with  the  other,  a l)owl  hearing  rude,  encircling 
lines,  and  having  had,  above  the  rim,  the  head  of  a bird  or  (quadruped,  part  of 
which  had  Ijeen  hroktm  off  before  interment.  Roth  howls  were  of  most  inferior 
ware  and  in  fragments. 

The  remaining  burial  was  a badly  decayed  skeleton,  closely  flexed  and  lying 
on  the  right  side. 

Apart  from  human  remains,  in  the  mound  was  a rude  knife  wrought  from 
clierty  material. 

Mound  near  Douglas,  Lincoln  ('ountv. 

In  the  verge  of  woods,  about  two  miles  KSK.  from  Douglas,  on  projierty  of 
Mr.  R.  E.  Lake,  of  Doughus,  who  kindly  placed  it  at  our  disposal,  was  a mound  6.5 
feet  high  and  70  feet  across  its  circular  base.  The  summit  plateau,  also  circular, 
was  22  feet  in  diameter. 

The  mound  had  sustained  some  digging  in  the  past  by  treasure  seekers,  we  were 
told,  and,  to  a limited  extent,  on  one  or  two  occasions,  by  inhabitants  of  Douglas. 
This  digging,  however,  had  not  affected  the  height  of  the  mound  or  its  diameter. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  mound  was  a depression,  filled  with  water  at  the 
time  of  our  visit,  whence  material  for  the  building  of  the  mound  had  been  taken; 
and  a similar,  though  smaller,  depression  was  on  the  opposite  side. 

After  some  exploratory  digging,  it  was  found  that  only  the  core  of  the  mound 
contained  burials,  and  these  were  superficial,  the  mound  apparently  having  been 
originally  a domiciliary  one  and  subse(juently  used  as  a cemetery. 

The  core  of  the  mound,  44  feet  in  diameter,  was  dug  out  by  us,  at  first  along 
the  base,  then  a little  above  it,  until  a portion  16  feet  in  diameter  remained.  This 
part  was  dug  out  to  a depth  of  3 feet,  as  no  burials  had  been  met  with  deeper  than 
31  inches. 

Thirty-two  burials  were  encountered,  all  proving  to  be  of  the  bunched  variety, 
wherever  determination  was  possible.  Those  not  classilied  were  disturbances  in 
some  cases;  in  others,  where  many  bones  seemed  to  have  disappeared  through 
decay.  Several  also  were  bones  of  children,  much  crushed  and  disintegrated. 

No  skull  was  found  in  condition  to  save  or,  with  one  exception,  in  fragments 
large  enough  to  enable  determination  as  to  cranial  comjiression.  In  this  one  case, 
no  compression  was  apparent. 

A pathological  specimen  found  by  us  in  this  mound  was  sent  to  the  United 
States  Army  Medical  Museum.  Dr.  D.  S.  Lamb,  pathologist  of  that  imstitution, 
kindly  has  reported  on  the  bone  as  follows : 

‘‘The  right  femur,  from  mound  near  Douglas,  Arkansas  County,  Ark.,  Burial 
No.  12,  shows  marked  atrophy  of  the  head  of  the  bone  and  downward  disjilace- 
rnent,  the  neck  forming  an  acute  angle  with  the  shaft,  probably  a case  of  tubercu- 
lous hipjoint.  I say  ‘ probably,’  but  I know  of  no  other  cause  than  tuberculosis 
that  Avould  cause  such  a lesion.” 

But  few  artifacts  except  pottery  were  present  in  the  mound.  With  several 
burials  were  shell  beads. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  525 


Rurial  No.  9 had  a bottle  and  a bowl  near  the  skull,  and  at  the  neck,  tubular 
beads  of  slieet-brass  and  small  shell  beads. 

Burial  No.  17,  a bunched  burial,  bad  at  one  end  two  skulls  side  by  side. 
Immediately  above  one  of  these  skulls,  and  covering  part  of  it  and  the  whole  of  a 
downturned  vessel  resembling  the  one  shown  in  Plate  XIX,  which  lay  against  the 
skull,  was  an  inverted  bowl,  decorated  with  red  [)aint.  Alongside  the  first-men- 
tioned vessel,  but  not  covered  by  the  bowl,  lay,  on  its  side,  a small  vessel  of  the 
“teapot”  variety.  Near  this  group  of  vessels  were  two  others,  one  being  a small 
bottle,  decorated  with  a coating  of  red  pigment;  the  other,  a little  vessel  of  coarse, 
yellow  ware,  having  two  compartments — no  doubt  a highly-conventionalized,  open- 
bivalve  form.  "With  the  two  skulls  described  (which  had  belonged  to  adults)  and 
their  accompanying  bones,  were  the  skull  and  bones  of  an  infant,  which  fact 
explains,  no  doubt,  the  presence  of  the  smaller  vessels.  Near  the  chin  of  the 
infant’s  skull,  that  is  to  say  at  the  neck,  was  a necklace  of  tubular  beads  of  sheet- 
brass,  the  material  on  which  they  were  strung  still  holding  the  beads  in  place. 
Near  these  were  two  diminutive,  penannular  bracelets  of  sheet-copper,  of  a size 
suib'd  to  baby  arms  (Fig.  41),  round  in  cross-section,  and  tied  together,  the  cord 
still  intact  through  the  agency  of  the  salts  of  copper.  Near  the  bracelets  were  one 
"lass  bead  and  one  tubular  bead  of  brass. 

C 

At  the  opposite  end  of  this  bunched  burial,  away  from  the  skulls,  were  two 
vessels  together,  both  inverted  and  both  (a  bottle  and  a “teapot”)  belonging  to 
classes  of  vessels  rarely  found  in  that  position. 

Burial  No.  22,  that  of  an  infant,  had  near  small  fragments  of  the  skull,  a 
necklace  (Fig.  42)  made  up  of  tubular  beads  of  sheet-brass  and  shell  beads,  the 
material  on  which  the  beads  Avere  strung  being  still  capable  of  sustaining  the 
Aveight  of  the  necklace.  Nearby  Avere  nine  large  shell  beads,  and  a fcAV  shells 
kindly  identified  by  Dr.  H.  A.  Pilsbry  as  MargiucUa  apicimi.  A part  of  each  of 
these  shells  had  been  cut  away  to  lit  them  for  use  as  beads,  and  some  of  them  Avere 
still  in  place  on  a fragment  of  cord.  Doubtless  all  of  them  had  formed  part  of  the 
necklace. 

I'hve  pebldes,  two  of  which  Avere  much  polished  on  one  side,  lay  together  under 
part  of  an  earthen Avare  A'essel. 

With  a burial  Avere  two  A'essels,  one  of  Avhich,  a boAvl,  was  inverted  oAer  a 
mass  of  Avhat  Dr.  H.  F.  Keller  has  determined  to  be  almost  pure  kaolin.  This  clay, 
no  doubt,  served  as  Avhite  paint,  as  Ave  have  pointed  out  elsewhere  in  this  report. 

Fifty-tlmie  vessels  came  from  the  mound  at  Douglas,  taking  into  account  all 
that  were  found,  though  maiiA'  Avere  crushed  beyond  restoration.  The  vessels 
present  little  A’ariety  of  form  and  do  not  A'ary  greatly  in  decoration. 

Praetic;illy  CA’ery  boAvl  met  Avith  Avas  iiiA’erted,  as  Avere  some  other  vessels,  but 
very  exceptionally  the  bottles. 

Some  A'essels  Avere  interesting  as  to  aj)position. 

Vessel  No.  45,  a hoAvl,  Avas  inverted  oA'er  a small  boAvl  and  a very  diminutive 
bottle,  both  of  Avhich  Avere  lying  on  their  sides. 


52G  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Fio.  41. — Necklace  of  beads  of  sheet-brass  and  bracelets  of  sheet  copper.  With  Burial  No.  17.  Douglas.  (Full  size.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


52 


Fig.  42. — Beads  of  brass 'and  of  shell.  With  Burial  Xo.  22.  Douglas.  (Full  size.) 


528  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


A small  vessel  of  the  “teapot”  variety  had  a small  cup  turned  over  the  open- 
ing of  the  body. 

We  give  in  detail  de.scriptions  of  more  noteworthy  vessels  found  in  the  mound 
near  Douglas. 

Vessel  No.  22.  This  bowl  of  gray  ware  (Plate  X\M1I)  has  the  usual  band  of 
red  pigment  on  the  upper  portion,  inside  and  out.  Interiorly  is  a coml)ination  of 
festooned  bands,  three  bands  on  each  of  the  four  sides,  probably  sun-symbols.* 


Fig.  43. — Vessel  Xo.  7.  Douglas.  (Diameter  7.5  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  7,  a bowl  of  yellow  ware  with  the  usual  marginal  decoration  of  red 
}>aint  on  both  sides  (Fig.  43),  has,  in  the  interior,  a design  somewhat  resembling  a 
pair  of  antlers,  perhaps  an  attriliute  of  the  horned  ser[)ent. 

Vessel  No.  17  is  a bowl  similar  to  the  one  just  described  with  tlie  exception 
that  the  lower,  interior  decoration  is  a cross  of  the  four  directions,  with  equidistant 
projections  downward  from  the  encircling  marginal  band — perhaps  sulidivisions  of 
the  four  directions  (Fig.  44). 

* C.  C.  Willoiiglihy,  op.  cit.,  p.  13. 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND.  SER.,  VOL.  XIII. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 
NEAR  DOUGLAS,  VESSEL  NO.  22.  (FULL  SIZE.) 


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CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI 


529 


Fig.  44. — Vessel  Xo.  17.  Douglas.  (Diameter  6.4  inches.) 


67  JOURX.  A.  X.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII 


530  CERTAIN  xAIOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Vessel  No.  50  is  a bowl  of  yellow  ware  having  a solid  coating  of  red  on  the 
inside.  In  ]>lace  of  the  usual  head  derived  from  life  is  a blunt-pointed  handle  turn- 
ing inward,  having  a perforation.  On  the  opposite  side  is  the  usual  conventional 
tail  (Fig.  45). 

Vessel  No.  3 is  a small  vessel  with  four  equidistant  protuberances  around  the 
rim,  resembling  the  well-known  loop-handles  so  often  found  in  southern  United 
States.  In  this  case,  however,  two  of  the.se  protuberances  have  been  perforated 
after  the  baking  of  the  clay,  for  ])urpose  of  suspension,  while  the  other  two  remain 
solid.  For  decoration,  this  bowl  has  an  interior  coating  of  red  paint,  and  a band 
of  red  pigment  surrounding  the  up])er,  outer  part. 

Vessel  No.  15  is  a l)owl  of  excellent,  dark,  smooth  ware,  with  incised  decora- 


Fig.  45. — Vessel  No.  50.  Douglas.  (Diameter  5.6  inches.) 


tion,  shown  in  Fig.  4G,  in  which  the  meander  and  the  discs,  which  are  probably 
sun-symbols,  have  a conspicuous  place.  Red  pigment  has  been  used  in  the  lines  of 
the  upper,  or  Haring,  part  of  the  outside  of  the  bowl,  while  white  pigment  appears 
exteriorly  in  the  decoration  of  the  body  of  the  vessel. 

Vessel  No.  1,  a bottle  of  light  yellow  ware,  8.2  inches  in  height,  has  a globu- 
lar body,  which,  including  the  neck,  has  a beautifully  })olished,  even  coating  of  red 
pigment. 

Many  bottles  of  this  class,  though  with  the  color  less  excellently  preserved, 
were  found  by  us  in  the  lower  Arkansas  region,  but  they  will  not  be  described 
particularly  unle,ss  offering  some  point  of  divergence. 

Vessel  No.  79  is  a bottle  only  2.8  inches  in  height,  evenly  coated  with  red 
paint.  This  toy,  as  might  be  supposed,  lay  with  the  skeleton  of  an  infant. 

V^essel  No.  30.  This  beautiful  vessel  (Plate  XIX)  has  an  even  coating  of 
cream-colored  pigment  on  the  outside,  and  of  carmine  over  the  entire  interior. 


JOURN.  ACAD.  NAT.  SCI.  PHILAD.,  2ND.  SER.,  VOL.  XIII. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 
NEAR  DOUGLAS.  VESSEL  NO.  30.  fFULL  SIZE.) 


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CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 
NEAR  DOUGLAS,  VESSEL  NO,  32.  (FULL  SIZE.I 


Cockayne,  Boston. 


cp:htal\  mounds  of  Arkansas  and  of  Mississippi.  531 


are  unable  to  say  with  certainty  just  what  this  vessel  represents;  whether 
it  is  modeled  after  a section  of  a gourd  or  is  a conventionalized  shell-form.  On 
each  of  the  four^  vessels  found  hy  us  is  a protuberance  opposite  the  projecting  part, 
which  part,  in  the  case  of  a shell,  would  represent  the  beak  ; or  the  neck  in  the 
case  of  a gourd,  lu  conventionalized  shell-forms  which  we  have  seen,  Avhere  the 
conch  [Fi(/gnr)  drinking-cup  is  represented,  there  is  a group  of  knobs  around  a 
central  protuberance. 

On  the  other  hand,  nearly  all  gourd-vessels  have  a depression  in  place  of  a 
knob,  and  rightly  so  since  the  depression  represents  the  actual  one  seen  on  that 
part  of  the  gourd  which  is  opposite  the  neck.  Per  contra^  as  we  have  pointed  out 
in  this  paper,  vessels  unmistakably  representing  gourds  sometimes  have  a knob  in 
place  of  a depression. 


Fl«.  1C. — Vessel  Xo.  1.5.  Douglas.  ( Diameter  5.8  inches.) 

Vessel  No.  51,  a diminutive  ‘‘teapot”  of  dark  ware,  was  found  with  part  of  a 
small  boat-shaped  vessel  inverted  over  the  opening  in  the  body. 

\'essel  No.  3‘2,  a “ teapot,”  has  the  spout  and  knob  surrounded  by  circles  of 
white  ])igment.  On  the  two  other  sides  of  the  vessel  are  round  markings  in  white 
enclosed  in  circles  of  red  with  small,  intervening,  circular  spaces  of  the  yelloAv  of 
the  ware,  as  shown  in  Plate  XX. 

Vessel  No.  21  is  also  a “tea[)ot”  but  somewhat  larger  than  the  one  just 
described.  It  is  decorated  in  the  same  manner,  with  the  addition  of  some  black 
pigment  that  has  been  present  on  the  hasal  portion,  but  whicdi  is  now  hardly  more 
than  a stain. 

' There  were  found  by  us  along  the  Arkansas  river  four  such  vessels,  diHering  only  in  size,  with  a 
single  exception.  The  knob  on  one  of  the  vessels  is  surrounded  by  four  small,  incised,  concentric 
circles. 


532  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Cemetery  near  Greer,  Jefferson  County. 


Greer,  a small  settlement,  is  on  the  ri^lit  bank  of  the  Arkansas  river,  troini!: 
lip,  27  miles  by  water  above  the  city  of  Pine  Blnlf.  At  Greer  is  the  plantation  of 
Mr.  G.  B.  Greer,  live  or  si.\  thousand  acres  in  extent.  Affer  considerable  bargain- 
ing with  this  gentleman,  carried  on  through  bis  son,  we  acapiired  the  right  to  dig 
on  the  plantation. 

On  the  Greer  estate  is  an  aboriginal  mound  that  has  been  used  as  a ceme- 
tery in  recent  times,  and  which  is  covered  with  tomlistones  and  is  carefully 
fenced  in. 

In  the  field  surrounding  the  mound  were  many  signs  of  aboriginal  occupancy, 
such  as  bits  of  pottery ; arrowpoints  of  chert,  broken  as  a rule ; pebbles ; chips  of 
cliert,  etc.  The  canine  tooth  of  a large  carnivorous  animal,  and  a 

a small  and  neatly  made  “celt,”  lay  upon  the  surface,  as  did  also  a 
small  ornament,  probably  of  sedimentary  rock,  with  a cutting  edge  at 

one  end  and  a bole  for  suspension  at  the  other  (Fig.  47). 

Investigation  was  carried  on  bv  sinking  trial-boles  and  trenches 
where  signs  of  occupancy  seemed  most  jiromising,  and  then  by  digging 
tbrongbont  the  area  where  burials  were  encountered. 

Most  of  onr  successful  digging  was  done  in  two  small  areas,  one 
about  40  yards  in  a southerly  direction  from  the  mound;  the  other 
about  30  yards  northeast  of  it,  where  burials  were  found  in  consider- 
able numbers,  eighty  in  all  being  encountered,  twenty  of  which  were 
of  infants  and  of  older  children. 

These  burials,  none  of  which  was  more  than  2 feet  from  the  sur- 
face (few  attaining  that  depth),  consisted,  as  a rule,  of  skeletons  at 
length  on  the  hack  and  of  those  in  a Hexed  position. 

There  occurred,  in  addition,  a number  of  times,  three  rather  unusual  forms  of 
interment  which,  however,  are  modilications  of  the  same  form,  namely  : 

1.  Where  the  trunk  lay  upon  the  back,  the  thighs  raised  upward  and  parted 
somewhat,  with  the  legs  bent  back  on  the  thighs. 

2.  The  trunk  on  the  back,  the  thighs  widely  separated  and  drawn  np,  the 


Fl«.  47. — I’eiid- 
a ti  t . Greer. 
(Full  size.) 


legs  Hexed  against  the  thighs. 

3.  The  thighs  and  legs  in  the  position  just  described  with  the  trunk  bent 
forward,  sometimes  to  such  an  extent  that  the  skull  touched  the  pubic  part  of  the 
pelvis,  and  sometimes  so  that  the  cranium  rested  to  one  side  of  the  pelvis. 

These  forms  were  encountered  ten  times  in  all : once  in  the  siti'  southward 
from  the  mound,  and  nine  times  in  the  area  northeast  of  it,  though  about  the  same 
number  of  burials  was  present  in  each  site. 

Blit  one  hunched  burial  was  found  at  Greer,  and  this  one  unmistakably  was  of 
the  bunched  variety,  inasmuch  as  some  long-hones  belonging  to  at  least  three  skele- 
tons were  neatly  jiiled,  parallel — with  hut  one  skull,  however,  which  lay  beneath 
the  pile. 

There  were  present  also  disturbances  in  which  bones  had  been  disarranged  by 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  533 


tlie  a))origines  when  making  other  burials;  and  there  were,  of  course,  many 
burials  that  had  been  disturbed  by  the  plow. 

Fire  had  been  employed  but  once.  A skeleton  lay  in  order  down  to  the  upper 
part  of  the  thorax,  unallected  by  heat.  From  this  point  downward  were  charcoal 
and  fragments  of  bones,  including  parts  of  the  lower  long-bones,  some  of  which 
were  burned  considerably,  but  were  not  calcined. 

Most  of  the  bones  at  Greer  were  in  better  condition  than  we  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  find  them,  some  skulls  being  saved.  Nearly  all  the  skulls  and  fragments 
of  skulls  showed  antemortem  com})ression,  though  there  were  exceptions  to  this 
rule. 

Burial  No.  59  at  Greer  has  been  referred  to  in  the  introductory  ])ortion  of 
this  report.  Many  long-bones  of  this  skeleton,  which  show  marks  of  a specific 
disease,  were  sent  to  the  United  States  Army  Medical  Museum,  while  the  skull  is 
at  the  United  States  National  Museum  and  is  included  in  the  report  by  Doctor 
Ilrdlicka.  This  burial  was  2 feet  below  the  surface.  The  skeleton  was  partly 
Hexed  on  the  right  side,  a distinctly  aboriginal  form  of  burial.  There  were  no 
artifacts  with  it.  but  it  lay  among  burials  which  had  them. 

Not  many  feet  from  Burial  No.  59  were  recent  burials  in  coffins,  doubtless  the 
remains  of  negroes,  former  laborers  on  the  })lantation. 

We  do  not  believe,  however,  that  under  the  circumstances  as  we  have  given 
them,  there  can  be  any  ground  to  suppose  that  Burial  No.  59  can  have  been  recent. 

But  few  artifacts,  with  the  exception  of  pottery,  lay  with  the  dead. 

A neatly  made  ‘‘celt,”  rounded  at  one  end,  after  the  southern  fashion,  lay 
near  a burial.  This  implement  we  presented  to  a visitor. 

There  were  also,  associated  with  human  remains:  a few  shell  beads  in  several 
instances;  several  tines  of  deer-horn,  each  showing  marks  of  separation  from  the 
antler  by  the  aid  of  a cutting-tool ; a piercing  implement  of  bone  with  the  articular 
part  remaining;  two  implements  (found  separately)  similar  in  every  respect  to  the 
last,  with  the  exception  that  the  points  are  blunt  and  rounded — seemingly  just 
fitted  to  make  broad  lines  on  clay  previous  to  firing;  three  fragmentary  teeth  found 
together,  probably  incisors  of  the  beaver;  a number  of  lanceheads  and  knives, 
of  chert;  and  a small  and  beautifully-made  double-pointed  implement  of  chal- 
cedony. 

With  a burial  were  a number  of  tubular  beads  of  sheet-coj)per,  with  overlap- 
ping edges,  which  had  stained  bright  green  a cervical  vertebra  and  the  chin.  Some 
of  these  beads,  analyzed  by  Dr.  II.  F.  Keller,  }>roved  to  be  of  the  purest  copper,  as 
we  have  related  in  the  early  part  of  this  rc})ort,  a copper  far  too  pure  to  have 
been  obtained  from  Europeans,  whose  supply  was  derived  from  impure,  sulphide 
ores. 

In  the  soil,  but  not  associated  with  burials,  were  the  usual  hammer-stones, 
broken  and  whole;  also  chisels  and  cutting  implements,  some  wrought  from  chert 
pebbles;  a small  disc,  probably  of  fine-grained  sandstone;  and  a })iercing  imple- 
ment of  bone,  with  a perforation  at  the  hlunt  end. 


534  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Throughout  the  investigation  at  Greer  160  vessels  of  earthenware  were  found, 
or  an  average  of  exactly  two  to  each  burial.^ 

Only  -a  few  burials  were  without  a mortuary  deposit  of  vessels,  ranging  from 
one  to  live  in  number.  These  vessels  were  found,  not  in  a great  majority  of 
instances  near  the  skull,  as  was  the  case  iu  sites  farther  down  the  Arkansas  river, 
but  arranged  variously.  Sometimes  vessels  lay  near  the  skull,  in  one  instance  the 
head  being  entirely  surrounded  with  them,  or  again  vessels  were  found  along  the 
arm,  near  the  thighs,  at  the  knees,  or  at  the  feet.  For  example.  Burial  No.  7,  a 
skeleton  lying  partly  flexed  on  the  left  side,  had  at  the  right  shoulder  a water- 
bottle,  another  vessel  at  the  elbow,  and  a bowl  at  the  feet. 

Burial  No.  61,  a skeleton  having  the  lower  extremities  extended  and  the  head 
and  trunk  flexed  over  and  turned  to  the  right,  had,  under  the  skull,  a bowl  con- 
taining a smaller  bowl ; at  the  elbow,  a bottle;  ov(*r  the  left  knee,  a bowl;  at  the 
right  thigh,  a large  bowd  with  a smaller  bowl  somewhat  above  it.  * 

But  few  vessels  at  Greer  had  been  placed  in  the  ground,  inverted. 

In  certain  respects  the  earthenware  found  at  Greer  differs  from  that  met  with 
by  us  farther  down  the  river.  The  ii.se  of  red  paint  as  a coating  for  vessels  was 
excejitional  in  this  cemetery,  while  decoration  made  up  of  red  designs  and  white 
designs  in  combination  was  found  but  twice,  though  red  pigment  appears  in  a 
number  of  instances  worked  into  the  lines  of  incised  decoration. 

But  one  vessel  of  the  ‘‘teajiot”  variety  was  met  with  at  (Jreer,  and  this  vessel 
was  found  with  a burial  at  a distance  from  the  two  sites  whence  all  the  rest  of  the 
pottery  was  taken. 

The  ware  from  Greer  is  largely  dark,  not  highly  polished,  and,  when  decorated, 
bears  in  almost  every  instance  a scroll  decoration  made  up  of  broad,  trailed  lines, 
and  offering  little  varietj’  of  combination.  The  majority  of  the  ware  is  undeco- 
rated and  of  inferior  ([uality,  especialh*  that  placed  with  the  bodies  of  children,  a 
rather  exceptional  circumstance,  for  the  aborigines,  as  a rule,  were  liberal  when 
interring  their  little  ones.  As  usual,  vessels  with  children’s  remains  were  small 
in  keeping  with  the  size  of  the  departed. 

In  many  of  the  vessels  were  large  musselshells,  too  fragmentary  for  identifi- 
cation, as  a rule,  though  in  one  case  Dr.  II.  A.  Pilsbry  has  identified  one  to  be 
LavipsiUs  pH rpH rat iis. 

Red  pigment  was  found  in  several  vessels  We  have  already  (pioted  (page 
484)  the  analysis  by  Dr.  II.  F.  Keller  of  red  ocher  from  this  place. 

Part  of  a rude  smoking-pi[)e  of  earthenware  was  found  in  the  soil,  apart  from 
human  remains. 

We  shall  now  describe  the  vessels  from  Greer,  which  merit  particular  notice. 

' In  this  enumeration  all  ve.«.«els  have  been  scored,  whether  whole,  [)artlv  broken  or  hoj)elesslv 
crushed  by  the  plow  (the  last  two  classes  greatly  predominating),  our  object  being  to  ascertain  as  nearly 
as  possible  the  number  originally  placed  with  the  dead,  though,  of  cout^e,  owing  to  the  destruction  of 
the  human  remains  and  of  vessels  through  cultivation  of  the  field,  it  was  impossible  to  do  this  with 
exactness. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


535 


Vessel  No.  100  is  a shallow  bowl  of  dark  ware  (Fig.  48),  having  as  decoration, 
incised  over  the  entire  base,  an  interesting  form  of  the  s\vastika — a variety  found 
in  the  United  States  and  in  Central  America.* 

Professor  Holmes  has  kindly  prepared  for  us  the  following  note^  on  this  form 
of  swastika: 


Fio.  48. — Vessel  No.  100.  Oreer.  (Diameter  6.4  inches.) 


With  regard  to  the  device  engraved  on  the  bottom  of  the  earthen  bowl,  you 
will  remember  that  it  occurs  on  engraved  shells  and  in  various  degrees  of  conven- 
tion on  the  stamped  earthenware  of  the  Southern  States.  It  is  also  a very  general 

' Thomas  Wilson,  “ The  Swastika,”  Rej).  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  18‘)4,  p.  002. 

^ See,  also,  William  II.  Holmes,  “On  the  Origin  of  the  Cross  Symbol,”  Proc.  Am.  Antiq.  Soc., 
Oct.  24,  1006. 


53G  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


occurrence  on  the  pottery  of  the  ancient  Pueblos — especially  the  cliff  dwellers. 
The  design  is  merely  a form  of  the  cross  popularly  known  as  the  swastika.  The 
cross  in  all  of  its  forms  is  a cosmic  symbol  representing  the  world  (the  })ritnitive 

universe),  the  division  into  four  (north, 
south,  east,  west)  being  the  convenient 
means  of  locating  the  groups  of  deities  to 
which  offerings  and  appeals  had  to  l)e 
made.  We  may  thus  regard  it  as  the 
.symbol  not  so  much  of  the  universe  itself, 
as  of  all  the  vast  number  of  deities,  pow- 
ers, and  agencies  of  good  and  evil  sup- 
posed by  aboriginal  peoples  to  occu{)y  tlie 
four  (juarters  of  their  world.” 

In  Figs.  49,  50,  51,  52,  are  shown 
illustrations  suggested  by  Professor  Holmes 
in  connection  with  his  remarks. 

A'essel  No.  56.  This  beautiful  bottle 
of  dark  ware,  having  an  oblate-spheroidal 
body  and  flat  base  (Fig.  53),  bears  an  in- 
cised decoration  on  two  sides,  showing  a 
swastika  of  a variety  akin  to  the  one  seen  on 
Vessel  No.  100.  Between  the  two  crosses  is  a 
minor  decoration,  probably  added  to  fill  space. 

Still  remaining  in  the  inci.sed  lines  are  traces  of 
red  pigment. 

Vessel  No.  III.  This  bottle,  of  hard,  yellow 
ware,  with  a flat,  annular  base  (Fig.  54),  has,  in 
trailed,  broad  lines,  a swastika  decoration  of  the 
same  class  as  the  two  already  described. 

Vessel  No.  64,  which  in  reality  is  but  the 
basal  part  of  a vessel,  evidently  bore,  when  entire, 
an  incised  decoration  in  which  a swastika  similar 
to  those  just  mentioned,  formed  a part.  As  much 


Fig.  49. — Swa.stika,  a .stamped  decoration  on  South 
Apalachian  ware.  (Holmes.) 


Fig.  oO. — Shell  gorget  with  swastika  decora- 
tion. (Half  size.)  (Holmes.) 


Fits.  51. — Swastika. 
(Holmes.) 


middle  Mississippi  region. 


I'lG.  .52. — Swastika. 
(Holmes.) 


In  form  it  resembles  a 


as  was  found  of  this  vessel  is 
shown  in  diagram  in  Fig.  55. 

\'essel  No.  48.  This  ves- 
sel, of  dark  wart*,  polished 
(Fig.  56),  in  shape,  we  believe, 
differs  from  any  hitherto  de- 
scribed as  coming  from  the 
saucer  with  a perforated,  trun- 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  537 


Fig.  r>:5. — Vessfl  No.  5(J.  Greer.  (Height  8.6  inches.) 


68  JOURN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


538  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


cated  cone  as  a support,  and  recalls  to  some  extent  the  basal  part  of  certain  bottles 
from  the  region  in  question.  This  vessel  is  without  decoration. 

Vessel  No.  51  belongs  to  the  same  class  as  that  just  described,  but  differs 
from  it  in  that  the  support  has  a greater  number  of  perforations  and  the  vessel 
bears  incised  decoration.  Around  the  lower  part  of  the  support  is  an  encircling, 
incised  line,  in  connection  with  which  are  oblique,  parallel,  incised  lines  (Fig.  57). 


I'lG.  54. — Vessel  No.  111.  Oreer.  (Height  4.8  inches.) 


The  interior  of  the  upper  part  bears  an  interesting,  incised  decoration  (Fig. 
58),  in  relation  to  which,  and  to  the  decoration  on  the  two  vessels  described  after 
this  one,  we  have  consulted  with  Mr.  Charles  C.  Willoughby,*  for  whose  assistance 
in  this  matter  we  wish  to  express  our  thanks. 

The  central  figure,  of  course,  is  the  cross  of  the  four  directions,  while  the  cross- 


‘ The  reader  is  referred  also  to  ^^r.  Willoughby’s  paper,  “An  Analysis  of  the  Decorations  upon 
Pottery  from  the  Mississippi  Valley,”  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  Vol.  X,  181)7. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  539 


Fig.  55. — Vessel  Xo.  (14.  (ireer.  Decoration.  (Half  size.) 


Fig.  5G. — Vessel  Xo.  18.  Greer.  (Diameter  6 inches.) 


540  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 

hatch  figure  is  a swastika.  Mr.  Willoughby  thinks  the  four  circles  near  the  edge 
in  this  decoration  are  analogous  to  the  four  circles  coniinon  to  similar  designs  in 
which  each  of  the  circles  surrounds  a cross  that  has  within  each  of  the  lour  spaces 
formed  by  its  arms,  a small  circle  surrounding  a dot. 

Mr.  Willoughby  does  not  believe  that  the  cross-hatch  near  the  edge  and  around 
the  circles  in  the  design  ligured  by  us  forms  a s}>ecial  design,  but  rather  is  used  as 
a back-ground. 

Vessel  No.  79.  We  have  here  part  of  another  vessel  (Fig,  59)  of  the  same 
type  as  the  two  just  described.  Red  pigment  remains  in  the  lines  of  the  incised 
decoration.  This  decoration,  partly  restored,  is  shown  in  diagram  in  Fig.  60. 


Fig.  57. — Vessel  No.  51.  Greer.  (Diameter  6.3  inches.) 

Mr.  Willoughby  thinks,  but  does  not  feel  sure,  that  the  central  design  is  made 
up  of  serpents’  tails  with  rattles.  If  such  be  the  case,  the  rattles  are  represented 
by  the  cross-hatch  design.  The  remainder  of  the  decoration  on  this  vessel  much 
resembles  that  on  Vessel  No.  51,  with  the  introduction,  however,  of  four  additional 
circles. 

Vessel  No.  17.  This  saucer-like  vessel  of  dark,  smooth  ware  (Fig.  61),  has  a 
most  interesting,  engraved  decoration  covering  its  entire  outer  surface,  which  prob- 
ably represents  various  parts  of  the  serpent.  The  central  design  is  formed  of  four 
tails,  showing  the  rattles.  The  four  lobes  surrounding  the  inner  circle  and  forming 
a cross,  are  serpents’  mouths,  showing  their  teeth.  The  smaller  circles  probably 
represent  the  eyes. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  541 


In  some  of  the  outer  semicircles  tlie  serpents’  teeth  appear  again,  and  we 
believe  it  likely  that  the  dentate,  cross-hatch  figures  represent  crests  of  the  crested 
serpent,  as  similar  designs  are  seen  on  representations  of  winged  and  crested  ser- 
pents, and  appear  again  and  again  through  every  form  of  convention  down  to  the 
simple  scroll. ‘ 

Mr.  Willoughby  says : “ The  complete  design  seems  to  me  to  be  analogous  to 


Fig.  58. — Vessel  No.  51.  Decoration. 


that  of  a certain  type  of  shell  gorgets,  which  1 always  believed  re[)resented 
a serpent. 

“ It  is  possible  that  the  small  circles  in  all  these  designs  are  eyes.  It  is  inter- 

' C.  B.  ]NIoore,  “Moundville  Revi.«ite<l,”  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  I’liila.,  Vol.  XIII,  Figs.  65  to 
73,  iiicliKsive. 

“ W.  II.  Holmes,  “Art  in  Sliell,”  Second  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Ain.  Ethnol.,  Pis.  LIV,  LV,  LVI. 


542  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Fl(i.  .59. — Vessel  Xo.  79.  (ireer.  (Diameter  6 inches.) 


Kl«.  60. — Vessel  Xo.  79.  Decoration.  : Two-thir<is  size.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  543 


estiiig  to  note  that  in  the  painted  designs  of  tlie  Nortlnvest  Coast  Indians,  eyes 
nearly  always  appear  at  the  })rincipal  joints  of  the  body.  They  also  appear  at  the 
joints  of  certain  gods  of  the  Mexican  Indians,'  and  1 think  that  the  circles  shown 
at  some  of  the  joints  in  the  serpent  god  of  the  Cincinnati  tablet  also  represent 
eyes.” 

Mr.  AVillonghby  thinks  it  probable  that  the  complete  designs  on  the  three  ves- 
sels just  described  represent  serpents  or  serpents  combined  with  cosmic  elements. 


Fig.  61. — Vessel  Xo,  IT.  Greer.  (Diameter  5.3  inches.) 


‘‘The  supreme  power  of  the  heavens  exemplified  by  the  lightning,”  says  Mr.  Wil- 
loughby, “symbolized  by  the  serpent,  is  so  closely  associated  with  the  clouds,  wind, 
rain,  water,  the  four  directions,  as  well  as  the  horizon,  that  where  the  representa- 
tion of  one  occurs,  others  are  likely  to  be  found.  I think  that  the  swastika  on 
Vessels  Nos.  51  and  79,  while  it  may  refer  to  the  serpent,  also  denotes  the  winds.” 

'See  Zelia  Nuttall,  “ Tlie  Book  of  Life  of  tlie  Ancient  Me.xicans,”  pp.  76,  7!),  etc. 

^ The  reader  is  referred  to  F.  W.  Putnam  and  C.  C.  ^^'illougllbv,  “Svinbolism  in  Ancient  Ameri- 
can Art,”  Proc.  A.  A.  A.  S.,  Vol.  X LI  V,  185)6. 


544  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Vessel  No.  13.  In  Fig.  02  is  shown  a bowl  of  dark  ware,  with  a scroll  design 
formed  by  a combination  of  broad,  trailed  lines,  a design  resembling  very  many 
found  near  Greer.  A feature  of  this  vessel,  however,  is  that  on  two  opposite 
sides  of  the  opening  are  projections,  each  containing  a longitudinal  perforation  for 
suspension. 

\ essel  No.  34  is  a wide-mouthed  bottle  of  dark  ware  (Fig.  63),  the  body  an 
oblate  sphere,  the  neck  slightly  haring  and  surrounded  at  the  junction  with  the 
body  by  a band  in  relief,  ornamented  with  incised  chevrons.  The  decoration  is 
largely  a scroll  design  somewhat  similar  to  many  found  near  Greer. 


Fig.  62. — Vessel  No.  13.  Greer.  (Diameter  6 inches.) 


Vessel  No.  135  is  a wide-mouthed  bottle  (Fig.  64)  of  the  same  class  as  the  one 
just  described. 

Vessel  No.  150  is  a broad-mouthed  bottle  of  dark  ware,  with  chevron  decora- 
tion around  the  neck  and  a .scroll  decoration  of  broad,  trailed  lines  on  the  body. 
A noteworthy  feature  about  the  liottle  is  that  on  two  opposite  sides  are  holes 
for  sus])cnsion. 

Vessel  No.  119  is  a bottle  of  dark  ware  (Fig.  65),  with  neck,  first  upright, 
then  flaring.  The  decoration  is  similar  in  the  main  to  that  on  other  vessels  from 
this  place. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


545 


Fig,  63. — Vessel  So.  34.  Greer.  (Diameter  6.5  indies.) 


69  JOURX.  A.  N.  S.  PH  I LA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


54G  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI 


Fig.  61. — Ves.sel  X<>.  135.  Greer,  (lleig)it  7 inches.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  547 


Fig.  65. — Vessel  No.  1 19.  Greer.  (Diameter  5.5  inches.) 


548  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


A essel  No.  10  is  a well-made  bottle  with  the  usual  scroll  and  attendant  deco- 
ration (Fig.  6G). 

\"essel'No.  61  has  been  a large  elligy  of  a quadruped,  supported  on  four 
legs  and  painted  a brilliant  red.  Unfortunately,  the  head  and  hack  (and  probably 


Fl<;.  66. — Vessel  So.  10.  Greer.  (Height  7.5  inches.) 


a neck,  as  the  elligy  was  most  likely  a bottle)  have  been  carried  awav  b^'  the  sweep 
ol  a plowshare.  ^ essels  ot  a type  presumably  similar  to  this  one  are  figured  by 
Holmes’  and  by  Thruston.^ 

' Twentietl)  Ann.  Rep.  Bur.  Am.  Ktlmol.,  1*1.  XXVf. 

2 “ Anti(iuities  of  Tennessee.”  Fig.  -4(5;  also  1*1.  IX. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


549 


Ve.ssel  No.  45  i.s  a bowl  of  dark  ware  (Fig.  07),  in  shape  an  inverted,  trun- 


Fig.  67. — Vessel  Xo.  45.  Greer.  (Diameter  7 inches.) 


Fig.  68. — Vessel  No.  45.  Decoration.  (Half  size.) 


cated  cone,  with  a graceful  decoration  of  broad,  trailed  lines  (Fig.  68),  shown  twice 
on  the  outer  surlace.  On  the  base  is  a swastika  that  had  become  so  indistinct 


550  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


through  wear  that  it  was  necessary  to  outline  it  with  chalk  for  purposes  of 
photography. 

^^essel  No.  120  is  a bowl  of  excellent,  dark  ware  (Fig.  69),  having  on  the 
upper  part  an  incised  decoration  in  which  remain  traces  of  red  pigment. 


FtG.  69. — Vessel  Xo.  120.  (Jreer.  (Diameter  7.2  inches.) 


Fig.  to. — Vessel  Xo.  106.  Greer.  (Diameter’9.3  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  106  is  also  a bowl  of  dark  ware,  with  an  incised  decoration  that  at 
one  time  has  had  a deposit  of  red  pigment  in  the  lines  (Fig.  70). 

Vessel  No.  121  is  a wide-mouthed  bottle  of  dark  ware,  having  a body  globular 
with  extended  Hat  liase,  and  a neck  first  upright,  then  Haring  (Fig.  71).  The  deco- 
ration, which  is  incised,  is  made  up  of  bands  of  reticulated  lines,  most  of  which  unite 
in  forming  a scroll  eifect.  As  was  almost  invariabl}-  the  case  in  the  cemetery  near 


cp:rtain  mounds  of  Arkansas  and  of  Mississippi.  551 


Greer,  red  paint  is  an  adjunct  to  the  incised  decoration,  which,  incidentally  we  nia}' 
say  here,  was  not  employed  when  the  decoration  consisted  of  broad,  trailed  lines. 

Vessel  No.  1 12  is  a wide-mouthed  bottle  of  dark  ware,  with  a body  having  an 
extension  ending  in  a flat  base  (Fig.  72).  The  decoration,  incised,  with  the  usual 
traces  of  red  pigment,  is  made  up  of  a combination  of  spaces  filled  with  reticulated 
lines. 

Vessel  No.  30  is  a bowl  of  coarse,  yellow  ware,  having  an  almost  indistin- 
guishable decoration  on  the  lower  part.  The  upper  part,  exteriorly,  bears  an 
incised  and  punctate  design  in  which  the  scroll  has  a prominent  place  (Fig.  73). 


Fig.  71. — Vessel  Xo.  121.  Greer.  (Diameter  6.75  inches.) 


Vessel  No.  8 is  a cooking  vessel  of  yellow  ware,  with  soot  still  adhering  (Fig. 
74).  The  decoration  of  trailed  lines  and  punctate  markings  shows  scrolls,  concen- 
tric circles  (probably  sun-symbols),  and  diagonal,  parallel  lines. 

Vessel  No.  37.  This  interesting  little  vessel  (Fig.  75)  is  a reproduction  in 
earthenware  of  one  of  the  musselshells  {Uiiio)  found  in  the  Arkansas  and  White 
rivers.  We  do  not  recall  having  seen  before  the  musselshell  represented  in  earth- 
enware, though  the  conch  and  the  clam  figure  in  the  pottery  of  the  middle 
Mississippi  region. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI 


Fkj.  73. — Vessel  Xo.  30.  Greer.  (Diameter  5.6  iiielies.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  553 
Vessel  No.  1 10  is  a bowl  of  yellow  ware  ( Fig.  7G),  having  as  decoration  a 


Fig.  74. — Vessel  Xo.  8.  Greer.  (Diameter  6.5  inches.) 


band  of  red  pigment  on  both  sides,  extend- 
ing somewhat  below  the  rim.  In  the  in- 
terior are  four  series  of  doultle,  crescentic 
bands  executed  in  red  paint.  Centrally, 
is  a frog  shown  in  red  paint,  the  represent- 
ation of  which,  however,  is  somewhat 
marred  through  the  effect  of  heat,  tlie  out- 
side of  the  vessel  and  the  central  jiart  of 
the  interior  having  been  discolored  by  fire. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  a ves.sel 
found  l)y  Doctor  Hough  * in  nortlieastcrn 
Arizona,  bears  a frog  painted  on  the  base  of 
the  interior.  “ The  frog  is  a symbol  of 
water,”  says  Doctor  Hough,  “and  its  sym- 
bolic use  is  widely  diffused  in  the  Pueblo 
region,  carved  in  shell,  formed  in  clay, 
worked  in  tunpioise  mosaic  or  painted  on 
pottery.” 

The  frog  shown  by  Doctor  Hough  is 
tailless,  while  the  frog  on  the  vessel  from 
(Ireer  bears  a well-developed  tail. 


Fig.  75. — Vessel  Xo.  37.  Imitation  of  musselsliell. 
Greer.  (Full  size.) 


‘Walter  Hough,  “ Arclueological  Field  Work  in  Northeastern  Arizona,”  Smithsonian  Report, 
1901,  p.  315,  PI.  L. 

70  JOURX.  A.  X.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


554  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


It  is  well  known  that  in  the  tadpole  state  the  incipient  frog  has,  at  the  same 
time,  both  tail  and  legs,  which  fact,  no  doubt,  caiused  the  aboriginal  artist  to  portray 
on  our  bowl  a Irog  with  marked  caudal  development. 

• Here  again,  however,  we  can  find  a parallel  in  the  Southwest.  Doctor 
Fewkes ' describes  and  figures  as  coming  from  the  ancient  Pueblo  of  Sikyatki,  in 


Fig.  76. — Vessel  Xo.  110.  Greer.  (Diameter  13.5  inches.) 


northeastern  Arizona,  a painted  representation  of  Ji  frog  hearing  a tjiil  of  consider- 
jible  size. 

Vessel  No.  32,  a bowl  of  yellow  ware  (Fig.  77),  has  an  interior  coating  of  red 
pigment  and  an  exterior  band  of  the  same  material  extending  somewhat  below  the 

' .T.  \V.  Fewke.s,  “ Arohieological  E.vpodition  to  Arizona  in  1895,”  Seventeenth  Ann.  Rep.  Hiir. 
Am.  Ethnol.,  Part  II,  p.  677,  PI.  CXXXIIf. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  555 


rim.  On  oj)posite  sides  are  an  efligy  of  tlie  human  head  and  a conventional 
tail. 


A'essel  No.  55,  also  a bowl  of  yellow  ware,  much  the  worse  for  ravages  of 
time,  has  had  an  interior  coating  of  red  pigment  that  has  almost  entirely  disap- 
peared. On  the  outside  are  traces  of  the  usual  hand  of  red  paint  below  the  margin. 
On  one  side  is  the 
head  of  an  unidenti- 
fied animal  with  con- 
spicuous ears  erect, 
protruding  eyes,  and 
partly  open  m o u t h 
showing  the  teeth 
(Fig.  78).  On  the 
opposite  side  a tail 
curves  first  upward, 
then  inward. 

A essel  No.  9 is  a 
bottle  of  yellow  ware, 

found  in  many  frag-  Fig.  77.— Vessel  No.  32.  Greer.  (Diameter  7..3  inches.) 

ments  through  con- 
tact with  a plow,  the  neck  being  entirely  gone.  This  bottle  has  been  cemented 
together  with  considerable  restoration  as  to  the  body  and  complete  restoration  of 

the  neck  (Fig.  79).  The  design  varies 
somewhat  from  that  on  anv  other  vessel 

ft/ 

found  by  us  along  the  Arkansas  river, 
though  it  is  of  the  same  general  character. 
Partly  interlocked  scrolls  of  white  and  of 
red  form  the  decoration,  the  scrolls  hav- 
ing fenestrated  ends  filled  with  color — the 
white  scrolls  witli  red,  the  red  scrolls  with 
white.  As  the  paint  formerly  on  this 
bottle  has  been  considerably  Avorn  away, 
Ave  have  attempted  in  the  figure  to  shoAV 
the  design  as  it  originally  appeared,  the 
dark  shade  representing  red ; a lighter 
shade  shoAA'ing  the  yelloAv  of  the  Avare ; 
the  Avhite,  of  course,  being  represented 
Avithout  color. 

Vessel  No.  130.  This  small  A'essel, 
Avith  rounded  base  and  square  in  upper, 
horizontal  section,  is  undecorated  and  is 
Avorthy  of  note  only  on  account  of  its  quadrangular  form  Avhich,  as  has  often 
been  remarked,  is  nnusnal  though  of  Avides})read  occurrence. 


Fig.  78. — A’essel  No.  5.7.  Greer.  (Full  size.) 


556  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI 


Fig.  79.  — Vessel  Xo.  9.  Greer.  (Height  9 iiiubcs.) 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  557 


The  Toltec  Mounds,  Lonoke  County. 

These  iiioimds,  near  Toltec  station,  on  the  railroad,  about  sixteen  miles  below 
the  cit\’ of  Little  Rock,  are  described  as  the  Knapp  Mounds  in  the  Twelfth  Annual 
Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology, ‘ as  doubtless  they  were  called  at  the 
time  of  tlie  publication  of  the  Report. 

The  mounds  were  visited  by  us,  but  investigation  was  not  deemed  advisable, 
as  there  seemed  to  be  no  history  of  the  discovery  of  artifacts  in  the  vicinity. 

Little  Rock. 

In  the  State-house  at  Little  Rock,  the  capital  of  Arkansas,  we  examined  a 
small  case  of  earthenware  vessels  said  to  have  been  found  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  city. 

One  of  these  vessels,  of  the  ‘‘teapot”  variety,  bears  a human  face  on  one  side, 
well  modeled  in  relief,  and  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  vessels  from  Arkansas 
that  we  have  seen. 

Since  our  return,  we  have  tried  without  success,  to  obtain  from  the  officials  at 
the  State-house  a photograph  of  this  vessel  for  reproduction. 

J Page  243  et  seq. 


RP:P0RT  ox  a collection  of  crania  from  ARKANSAS. 

(Made,  and  donated  to  the  National  Museum,  by  Mr.  Clarence  B.  Moore.) 

By  Ale!5  IIkdlicka. 

(In  charge  of  the  Division  of  Pliysical  Anthropology,  U.  S.  National  Museum.) 


Tlie  collection  in  question  consists  of  twelve  more  or  less  perfect  skulls,  four 
of  which  are  marked  as  coming  from  “near  Menard  mound,  Arkansas  Co.,  Ark.,” 
while  six  were  exhumed  “ near  Greer,  Jefferson  Co.,”  the  same  State. 

All  the  specimens  present  ahont  the  same  degree  of  conservation.  They  are 
all  of  ninch  the  same  yellowish  color,  fragile,  largely  devoid  of  animal  matter,  but 
not  mineralized.  Two  of  the  skulls  are  repre.sented  hy  the  frontal  bone  only,  and 
of  the  others  three  lack  the  lower  jaw.  Their  original  and  Mnsenm  numbers,  with 
identification  as  to  sex  and  estimate  of  the  age  of  the  individuals,  are  as  follows; 


Mena  HI)  Skull.s. 

Oi’ig.  No. 

Mnsenm  No. 

Sex. 

Approximate  age  of 

249,914 

male 

55-60  y. 

“ Ihirial  10” 

249,915 

male 

50-60  y. 

“ 86 

249,916 

female 

30-35  y. 

249,917 

female 

adolescent. 

Gkekh  Skulls. 

“ Burial  6 ” 

249,918 

female 

35  y. 

“ GO 

249,919 

male 

55-60  y. 

“ 7 

249,920 

female 

40  V. 

“ 43 

249,921 

male  (?) 

35  y. 

“ 12 

249,922 

female  (?) 

45  y. 

“ 59 

249,923 

female 

35  V. 

“ 32 

249,924 

female 

40  V. 

“ 53 

249,925 

female 

35  V. 

Several  of  the  sknlls  show  signs  of  injnry  in  life,  or  of  disease,  d’hns,  in 
249,915  (Menard),  a hyperostosis  of  the  plate  that  forms  its  floor  occludes  entirely 
the  right  external  auditory  meatus,  while  on  the  left  side  there  is  a similar  condi- 
tion in  an  advanced  stage;  in  249,91!)  (Greer),  there  are  three  scars  of  old  lesions 
of  unknown  nature,  one,  of  moderate  size  and  irregular  form,  anteriorly  near  tlie 
right  frontal  eminence,  a trace  of  a similar  one  in  nearly  the  same  locatioii  on  the 
opposite  side,  and  a large  scar  over  the  upper  third  of  the  right  })arieto-occij)ital 
articulation;  in  No.  249,920  (Greer),  there  is  a larger  (3  x 2 cm.)  scar,  resemhling 
in  nature  those  in  the  preceding  case,  on  the  left  frontal  eminence;  in  No.  249,921 
(Greer),  a large  symmetrical  area  over  the  top  and  back  of  each  j)arietal  shows 


KKPOirr  ox  A COLLECTION  OF  CRANIA  FROM  ARKANSAS.  559 


signs  of  prolonged  congestion,  resulting  in  slight  hypei’idiisia  of  the  surface  bone 
layer;  finally,  No.  249,922  shows  an  old  scar  in  the  large  inion  depression  which 
exists  in  this  case,  and  in  one  ])art  of  this  scar  the  bone  is  perforated,  the  irregular 
opening  measuring  G x 5 millimeters.  All  these  scars  suggest  syphilitic  lesions, 
but  they  are  all  healed  and  there  is  a total  absence  of  the  characteristic  syphilitic 
ulceration  of  the  bone.  Resides  the  just  mentioned  conditions,  it  is  noticeable 
that  dental  caries  was  more  prevalent  than  is  usual  among  the  Indians. 

Three  of  the  Menai-d  and  three  of  the  Creer  crania  show  various  degrees  of 
artificial,  intentional  deformation  of  the  “flathead”  type,  and  one  additional  (ireer 
skull  (249,922)  pre.sents  a lateral  occipital  flattening.  Specimens  249,917,  ’20,  ’21 
and  ’23  are  free  from  deformation;  in  249,915  and  ’925  the  frontal  compression  is 
of  so  light  a grade  that  it  does  not  affect  materially  the  general  shape  and  meas- 
urement of  the  skulls. 

Anomalies  of  structure  are  observable  in  a number  of  cases,  those  more  worthy 
of  mention  being  as  follows:  An  epactal  bone,  4.3  x 9.9  cm.  in  surface  measure- 
ments, exists  in  249,920;  and  there  is,  in  249,918,  a somewhat  rudimentary  atlas, 
with  complete  neural  arch,  fused  entirely  with  the  occi])ital. 

The  anthropological  characteristics  of  the  skulls  from  the  two  localities  are 
found  on  examination  to  be  practically  identical.  They  are  so  close  that  there  is  a 
strong  probability  of  their  proceeding  not  only  from  the  same  general  type,  but 
even  from  the  same  tribe  of  people,  and  they  can  be  legitimately  dealt  with  as  one 
group  only. 

Measukements  and  Description. 

Fonn. — The  undeformed  skulls  of  this  collection  are  all  decidedly  brachy- 
cephalic,  and  several  of  the  deformed  specimens  give  plain  indication  that  they 
belong  to  the  same  type.  The  skulls  are  ahso  all  relatively  high.  The  individual 
measurements  and  indices  showing  these  conditions  are  as  follows  : 


Measurements  of  the  Crania  Relative  to  their  Shapes. 


MISEI'M 

Ncmber 

Sex 

Diameter 

antero- 

posterior 

maximum 

Diameter 

lateral 

maximum 

Basion — 
breKi"a 
height 

Cephalic 

index 

Height- 

length 

index 

Height- 

breadth 

index 

249.915 

Male 

cm. 

17.8 

cm. 

15.4 

cm. 

M-3 

S6.5 

80.J 

92.9 

249,919 

Male 

16.5 

14.8 

14.6 

89.7 

88.S 

98.6 

249.920 

Female 

16.2 

14-5 

>3-9 

89-5 

83.8 

95-9 

249,921 

Male  (?) 

17.2 

14-5 

14-15 

84-3 

82.3 

97.6 

249.923 

Female 

16.5 

14-3 

13-7 

86.7 

83.0 

95-8 

249.925 

Female 

15-7 

13-9 

13.6 

88.5 

86.6 

97.8 

560  REPORT  ON  A COLLECTION  OF  CRANIA  FROM  ARKANSAS. 


Size. — The  skulls  under  examination  are  all  of  rather  low  cai)acity,  when 
compared  with  whites,  but  can  not  l)e  said  to  be  exceptional  for  Indians,  particu- 
larly for-  those  of  moderate  stature,  which  in  this  case  is  indicated  by  the  usual 
small  lumen  of  the  foramen  mairnum,  as  well  as  by  a few  of  the  long-hones  sent  by 
Mr.  Clarence  R.  Moore  to  the  Army  Medical  Museum  (a  right  male  femur  among 
these  measures  41.1  cm.).  The  next  table  gives  a number  of  determinations  which 
have  relation  to  the  size  of  the  skulls ; it  will  be  seen  that  it  is  of  importance  to 
learn,  in  connection  with  the  external  measurements,  also  the  approximate  thick- 
ness of  the  bones  that  form  the  cranial  vault,  to  be  enabled  to  judge  with  some 
accuracy  as  to  the  ca])acity.  The  thickness  of  nearly  all  of  these  skulls  is  above 
the  average  in  whites,  though  agreeing  with  that  usual  in  the  Indian. 


Me.^surements  of  the  Crani.a.  Relative  to  their  Size. 


MI’SEUM 

Nu.mber 

Sex 

Capacity 
ill  c.c. 
(writer’s 
method) 

Cranial 

module 

(a^mean 

diameter) 

Circumfer- 
ence (above 
supraorbital 
ridges) 

Xasion— 

opisthioii 

arc 

Thickness 
of  left 
parietal 
(above  the 
squamous 
suture) 

249.915 

Male 

C.C. 

1425 

cm. 

15-83 

cm. 

51-8 

cm. 

34.5 

m m. 
6-7 

249,919 

(4 

1345 

15-30 

49-9 

33-8 

4-6 

249,921 

“(?) 

1260 

15-28 

50.7 

35-2 

6-7 

249,922 

; Female  (?) 

1305 

15-07 

48.0 

33-8 

4-6 

249,916 

Female 

1290 

14.80 

48.2 

32-5 

4-6 

249,918 

t ( 

1 170 

NEAR 

14.90 

47.0 

NEAR 

33-3 

6-7 

249,920 

< 4 

1185 

14-87 

48.6 

33.8 

4-6 

249.923 

4 4 

1250 

14.83 

49.1 

33-9 

4-6 

249,924 

1240 

14.90 

48.8 

32.6 

4 6 

249.925 

4 4 

1140 

14.40 

46.3 

32.3 

3-4 

The  facial  farts  of  these  skulls  gave  measurements  which  are  grouped  iu  the 
next  tables.  It  is  seen  that  the  upper  facial  height  is  in  most  of  the  instances 
quite  considerable.  This  is  due  to  a relatively  great  development  in  height  of  the 
upper  alveolar  process,  which  assumes  really  exceptional  proportions  in  No.  249,916. 
The  total  facial  height  is  less  pronounced,  due  to  a relative  lowness  of  the  inferior 
maxilla.  The  breadth  of  the  face  is  throughout  moderate.  The  nasal  index  is 


REPORT  ON  A COLLECTION  OF  CRANIA  FROM  ARKANSAS.  5G1 


groiipcMl  about  the  boundaries  of  the  lepto-  and  inesorbynic,  the  orbital  index  is  varia- 
ble, with  a predominance  in  the  undefonned  skulls  of  the  mesoseme.  The  prognath- 
ism is  on  the  av^erage  only  slightly  greater  than  is  usual  among  the  Indians,  but  is 
excessive  in  two  of  the  specimens  (Nos.  249,916  and  249,924).  The  palate  is  pre- 
dominantly brachy uranic  (Turner).  The  angle  of  the  lower  jaw  presents  nothing 
unusual,  with  one  possible  exception  (No.  249,921,  abnormally  large,  if  this  sknll 
is  that  of  a male).  The  breadth  as  well  as  the  height  at  symphysis  of  the  lower 
jaw  are  both  moderate  in  all  the  specimens. 


Measurements  Relative  to  the  Facial  Parts. 


Museum 

Nu.mber 

Sex 

Total 
heiKlit 
of  the 
face 

Alveolar 
point — 
nasion 
height 

Diameter 
bizygo- 
matic 
maxim  um 

Facial 

index, 

total 

Facial 

index, 

upper 

Nose : 
Height 
(mean  of 
that  from 
nasion  to 
the  nasal 
notches) 

Nose  : 
breadth 

Nose  : 
index 

Orbits  : 
mean 
height 

Orbits  : 
mean 
breadth 
(Broca) 

Orbits : 
mean 
index 

cm. 

cm. 

cm. 

cm. 

cm. 

cm. 

cm. 

249.915 

male 

12.4 

7-7 

14.6 

84.9 

52-7 

5-45 

2-75 

49.1 

3 40 

4- 50 

75 

249,919 

< < 

? 

? 

14-5 

? 

? 

5.00 

2.50 

50.0 

3-20 

3.85 

83.1 

249,921 

“ (?) 

1 

II. 9 

7-45 

13  2 

go.  I 

56.4 

5-40 

2.50 

46.3 

3-45 

3.90 

88.5 

219,922 

female  (.!*) 

12.0 

7-35 

13.2 

90.9 

55-7 

5.05 

2.30 

45-5 

3-50 

4- 05 

86. 4 

249,916 

female 

! 13.2 

8.05 

12.7 

103.9 

63-4 

5.20 

2.45 

47.1 

365 

3.70 

(98.6) 

249,918 

C < 

II. 6 

71 

13.7 

84-1 

51-8 

4.90 

2.50 

51.0 

3.30 

3-75 

{88.0) 

249,920 

4 4 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

249.923 

4 4 

lO.O 

6.7 

133 

8/  9 

50-4 

5-15 

2.55 

49-5 

3-50 

3-75 

93-3 

249,924 

44 

12.0 

7.65 

13- 1 

91.6 

58-4 

5.30 

2,40 

45-3 

3-50 

3-75 

{93-3) 

249.925 

4 4 

? 

7.25 

12.8 

? 

36.6 

5-20 

2.60 

50.0 

3-40 

3.60 

94  4 

Additional  Measurements  Relative  to  the  Facial  and  Other  Parts  of  the  Skull. 


Prognathism 

Palate 

Lower  Jaw 

Frontal  Bone 

Museum 

Number 

Sex 

Basion — 
forepart 
of 

alveolar 
point  (a) 

Basion  — 
nasion  (ij 

Angle 
between 
a and  b 

Basion — 
middle 
of  nasal 
notches 
(c) 

Height 
from 
alveolar 
point  to 
middle 
of  nasal 
notches 
(<0 

Angle 
be- 
tween 
a and  d 

Exter- 

nal 

length 

(X) 

Exter- 

nal 

breadth 

(>•) 

Index 

Diam- 

eter 

bigo- 

nial 

Angle 

(mean) 

Height 

at 

sym- 

physis 

Diam- 

eter 

frontal 

mini- 

mum 

Diam- 

eter 

frontal 

maxi- 

mum 

Fora- 
men 
mag- 
num ; 
mean 
diam- 
eter 

cm. 

cm. 

degrees 

cm. 

cm. 

degrees 

cm. 

cm. 

cm. 

degrees 

cm. 

cm. 

cm. 

cm. 

249.914 

male 

? 

? 

? 

? 

> 

f 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

ABOUT 

lO.O 

(12.3) 

? 

249.915 

< ( 

10.7 

II. 4 

74.0 

9.8 

2.10 

57-5 

5-8 

NEAR 

6.9 

iig.o 

10.9 

116.5 

3-4 

9.8 

(12.3) 

3-35 

249,919 

“ 

? 

10.5 

? 

8.95 

(1-95) 

? 

? 

? 

? 

p 

? 

? 

10.15 

12.6 

3-15 

249,921 

“ (?) 

10.2 

10.5 

730 

9.0 

2.20 

52-5 

5-8 

6.9 

119.0 

I I.O 

134.0 

^6 

9-4 

12.4 

3-50 

249,922 

female  (?) 

10.2 

10.6 

73-0 

915 

2.45 

58.5 

5-75 

6.6 

114.8 

9.6 

126.0 

3-5 

9-4 

1 1.6 

3.00 

249,916 

female 

10.4 

lO.O 

63.0 

9.0 

2.85 

52-0 

6.2 

71 

114-5 

9-9 

? 

? 

9 85 

(13.2) 

3-05 

249,917 

i 4 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

> 

? 

? 

P 

? 

? 

9.2 

II. 8 

? 

249,918 

4 4 

? 

? 

f 

? 

2.30 

? 

5-6 

69 

123.2 

10. 0 

I2/.0 

3- 25 

8.8 

(II-5) 

? 

249,920 

4 4 

? 

9.8 

? 

? 

? 

? 

? 

> 

? 

? 

? 

? 

8.9 

11-95 

2.90 

249.923 

4 < 

9-4 

9-9 

73-5 

8.5 

1-75 

55-0 

5-35 

6.8 

121.1 

10. 1 

125-0 

315 

9-4 

12.4 

3.30 

249,924 

4 4 

10.6 

10.2 

66.5 

9-3 

2-35 

51-5 

5-8 

6.65 

114.1 

9.8 

i2g.o 

3.5 

9.2 

(12.5) 

3-25 

249.925 

4 4 

10. 0 

10.15 

70.0 

9.0 

2. 10 

56.0 

5-6 

6.55 

IIJ.O 

? 

■ ? 

? 

9-1 

11.5 

3- 25 

71  JOURX.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XlII. 


562  REPORT  ON  A COLLECTION  OF  CRANIA  FROM  ARKANSAS. 


Descriptive  Xotes. — In  the  undeforined  skulls,  the  forehead  is  generally  well 
built;  the  sagittal  region  is  anteriorly  uniformly  oval,  or  there  is  but  a slight 
median  elevation,  while  from  the  summit  backward  and  ])articularly  in  the  region 
of  the  obelion,  a numher  of  the  specimens  show  a shallow  median  depression  ; the 
temporo-parietal  region  is  convex,  without  bulging,  and  the  parietal  bosses  are  not 
pronounced  ; the  occiput  is  also  convex,  without  bulging,  as  it  does  in  long  crania. 
In  several  instances  the  locality  of  the  inion,  usually  marked  by  a })rotuberance, 
presents  a depression;  this  is  es])ecially  marked  in  Nos.  249,1)18  and  249,922. 

The  supraorbital  ridges  are  in  all  these  crania  less  developed  than  usual,  while 
the  opposite  is  true  of  the  mastoids,  particular!}’  those  of  the  females,  which  are 
much  above  the  average  and  could  in  most  of  the  cases  easily  be  taken  for  those  of 
males. 

The  sutures  show  sjenerallv  a submedium  serration;  obliteration  is  irresular 
in  the  different  specimens,  but  in  a number  of  instances  is  seen  to  have  involved 
the  coronal  suture  below  the  temporal  ridges  before  it  has  advanced  much  in  other 
localities.  The  pterions  are  all  of  the  II  form  and  mostly  of"  fair  width.  Sutural 
bones  are  small  and  (juite  infre(pient. 

The  nasion  depression,  due  to  the  small  supraorbital  ridges,  is  generally  more 
or  less  shallow;  the  nasal  bridge  is  of  but  moderate  height,  especially  in  249,925; 
the  inferior  borders  of  the  nasal  aperture  are  in  most  of  the  cases  sharp,  but  in 
249,918  they  are  dull,  with  moderate  subnasal  gutters,  while  in  249,923  they  are 
dull  and  there  are  moderate  submasal  fossa\  The  spine,  as  usual  in  the  Indians,  is 
mostly  of  submedium  dimensions  as  compared  with  that  of  whites." 

The  malar  bones  and  zygonue  are  in  all  these  specimens  of  only  moderate 
strength  and  prominence.  The  canine,  or  suhmalar  fossa',  are  of  medium  develop- 
ment. The  chin  is  generally  of  moderate  protrusion  ; in  249,921,  and  especially 
in  249,915,  it  is  scjuare.  The  angles  of  the  lower  jaw  are  in  no  case  })rominent. 

The  base  is  characterized  by  small  depression  of  the  petrous  bones,  small  mid- 
dle lacerated  foramina,  and  submedium  to  rudimentary  styloids — all  features  com- 
mon in  Indians.  In  two  of  the  ten  skulls,  in  which  the  examination  of  the  floor 
of  the  auditory  meatus  is  possible,  there  is  a small  defect  in  the  same — in  24'9,921 
on  the  left,  in  249,922  bilaterally. 

The  dentition  has  been  found  regular  and  complete  in  all  cases  where  it  was 
possible  to  examine  the  same,  except  in  24i),919,  where  there  are  traces  of  one  or 
possibly  two  rudimentary,  supernumerary  dental  elements  in  the  upper  jaw  on  the 
right  side.  The  teeth  are  in  all  cases  of  moderate  size.  'I'lie  upper  incisors,  where 
preserved,  show  the  pronounced  ventral  concavity,  or  shovel  form,  which  is  encount- 
ered in  nearly  all  of  the  Indians.  The  cuspidary  formula*,  so  far  as  they  could  be 
ascertained,  differed  in  no  way  from  what  is  most  usually  found  in  the  whites. 
The  wear  of  the  teeth  is  less  than  usual  in  other  localities. 

“ This  structure  is  subject  to  so  much  variation,  and  is  so  often  damaged,  particularly  in  old  skulls, 
that  the  writer  finds  it  impracticable  to  utilize  it  as  the  point  from  which  the  nasal  height  is  to  be  meas- 
ured, utilizing  instead  the  mean  of  the  lowest  points  on  the  border  of  the  two  notches  of  the  nasal 
aperture. 


REPORT  ON  A COLLECTION  OF  CRANIA  FROM  ARKANSAS.  563 


Deductions. — The  collection  of  skulls  described  above,  consists  of  one  well 
delined  type,  characterized  mainly  by  bracbycepbaly.  There  are,  in  addition, 
features  which  may  he  regarded  as  local  or  tribal  modifications,  connected  probably 
in  the  main  with  the  habits  and  environment  of  the  people,  consisting  in  more  than 
usual  development  in  height  of  the  upper  alveolar  process,  a considerable  develop- 
ment of  the  mastoids  in  the  females,  and  small  development,  in  both  sexes,  of  the 
supraorbital  arches.  The  people  were  not  tall  in  stature,  and  their  food  was  not 
coarse. 

The  type  of  people  indicated  by  the  skulls  prevailed  at  one  time  over  a large 
part  of  the  present  State  of  Arkansas,  and  extended  to  the  (lulf  States.  Its  exact 
limits  are  as  yet  hut  ill  defined.  It  stands  in  relation — regardless  of  the  custom  of 
head  deformation — with  a large  contingent  of  the  mound  Indians,  reaching  well 
into  Ohio.  More  distant  peoples  of  fundamentally  the  same  type  are,  on  one  hand, 
the  brachycephals  of  the  northwest  coast,  and,  on  the  other,  the  people  of  Yucatan 
and  parts  of  the  eastern  coast  of  Mexico.  The  southwestern  brachycephals  must 
also  be  borne  in  mind. 

There  are  doubtless,  in  the  Gulf  States,  yet  living  representatives  of  the  type 
of  people  indicated  by  the  Arkansas  skulls  here  described.  It  exists  to  an  unas- 
certained extent  among  the  Tonkawa.  And  the  type  is  predominant,  if  not  gen- 
eral, among  the  Choctaw.  To  learn  its  ancient  distribution  would  be  an  im})ortant 
stej)  in  the  anthropology  of  this  country. 


Belzonao*  Cam|a  L'dg. 

WASHINGTON 


MAP  OF  PARTS  OP  THE  YAZOO  AND  SUNFLOWER  RIVERS 


Scale  in  miles 

f to 

1 9 08 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Bv  Clarence  B.  Moore. 


PART  II. 

Mol'N'ds  of  the  Lower  Yazoo  and  Lower  Sunflower  Rivers.  Mississippi. 

The  Yazoo  river  has  its  origin  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  .''tate  of  Mis- 
sissippi. and  flows  in  a southerly  course  through  the  eastern  part  of  the  alluvial 
plain  of  the  Mississippi  valley,  to  its  union  with  the  Mississippi  river,  near  the  city 
of  Vicksburg. 

The  Sunflower  river  has  its  source  somewhat  to  the  westward  of  that  of  the 
Yazoo,  and  continues  southward  to  its  junction  with  the  latter  stream,  about  44 
miles  by  water  above  Vicksburg. 

The  Yazoo  region  is  of  considerable  archteological  interest,  since  the  Y*azoo 
Indians,  who  dwelt  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  that  bears  their  name,  were 
at  no  great  distance  north  of  the  famous  Natchez  Indians  who.  as  the  reader  is  aware, 
were  found  by  the  early  explorers  living  near  where  now  is  the  city  of  Natchez. 
Miss.  The  Y’azoo  had  been,  no  doubt,  long  under  the  influence  of  the  Natchez 
Indians,  and  in  1730  we  find  the  Yazoo,  on  their  return  from  a visit  to  the  Natchez, 
massacring  the  small  garrison  of  the  French  fort  on  the  Yazoo  river. 

According  to  Du  Pmtz.  the  Yazoo  and  other  small  tribes,  after  the  Natchez 
troubles  with  the  French,  took  refmre  with  the  Chickasaw  and  were  absorbed  bv 
them. 

B.  F.  French,  however,  says*  there  were  still  a few  huts  of  the  Yazoo  on  the 
Yazoo  river  so  late  as  1851. 

A list  of  the  small  tribes  of  the  lower  Yazoo  is  given  by  Coxe.'  and  another 
by  Chevalier  Tonty,’  who  says : •*  The  Yazous  are  masters  of  the  soil.’* 

Other  lists  are  given  by  Du  Pratz  * and  by  Penicaut.®  Referring  to  the  Yazoo 
river  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century.  La  Harpe*  says : "Cabins  of  the 
Y’azous.  Courois,  Offagoula  and  Ouspie  are  dispersed  over  the  country  upon  mounds 
of  earth  made  with  their  own  hands.” 

* Hist.  Coll,  of  La..  Part  III.  p.  59,  footnote. 

* French,  Hist.  Coll-,  of  La..  Part  II,  p.  227. 

* Ibid.,  Part  I,  p-  82,  et 

* Histoire  de  la  Louisiane,  Paris.  17->8,  Vol.  II,  p-  226. 

' Hist.  Coll,  of  La.  and  Fla..  ls69,  p.  61. 


566  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


There  can  be  little  doubt  tliat  in  early  times  the  Natchez- Yazoo  region  bad  a 
comparatively  considerable  poi)idation. 

Du  Pratz  attributes  the  great  falling  off  in  numbers  of  the  Natchez  tribe  in 
bis  time  (1720)  to  the  many  human  sacrifices  following  the  death  of  the  greater 
and  inferior  suns,”  or  nobles,  which,  be  says,  were  more  destructive  than  the 
havoc  wrought  by  war. 

Rut  the  Natchez  bad  their  wars  also,  for,  although  Charlevoix,  speaking  of 
them  in  1721,  says  they  rarely  go  to  war  and  do  not  glory  in  the  destruction  of 
men,  de  Montigny,  who  saw  them  in  1699,  speaks  of  them  as  then  at  war  “with 
almost  all  the  nations  on  the  Mississippi.”  ^ 

De  la  Vente,^  who  visited  the  lower  Mississippi  river  in  1704,  found  most  of 
the  jieoples  there  at  war.  “ I could  not  say  for  how  long  back,”  he  says,  “ their 
chief  glory  has  been  to  take  a few  scalps  from  their  enemies  on  the  slightest  pre- 
text.” M.  de  la  \Tmte  adds  that  the  English  gave  the  Indians  firearms  and  incited 
them  to  make  war  on  each  other  in  order  that  they  (the  English)  could  obtain 
slaves  thereby'. 

Parenthetically,  it  may  be  said  that  the  English  were  not  wholly  to  blame  in 
the  distribution  of  firearms.  Of  Indians  of  Mississippi  we  are  told  by  Fatber 
Membre,  who  went  down  the  Mississippi  in  1682,  that  “they  have  also  axes  and 
gnus,  which  they  procure  from  the  Spaniards,  sixty-five  or  more  leagues  off.”  ® 

Presumably  all  the  causes  given  were  contributory  to  the  lessening  of  the  num- 
ber of  aborigines,  to  wbich  may  be  added  the  introduction  of  smallpox  and  of 
alcoholic  drink. 

We  shall  now  describe  onr  work  on  the  Yazoo  and  Sunflower  rivers.  As 
noted  in  previous  memoirs,  it  is  our  practice  to  have  agents,  who  are  accustomed 
to  the  work,  travel  in  advance  over  the  region,  the  investigation  of  which  we  have 
in  view,  in  order  exactly  to  determine  the  situation  of  mounds  and  cemeteries,  and 
to  obtain  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  owners;  thus,  in  the  winter  season,  in 
onr  flat-bottomed  steamer,  with  a large  force  to  dig,  including  many  who  have  been 
in  onr  service  before,  we  go  directly  to  work  on  such  mounds,  whose  owners  have 
accorded  us  permission. 

Preceding  our  work,  Mr.  J.  S.  Raybon,  captain  of  onr  steamer,  Avho  has  trav- 
eled for  a number  of  seasons  to  discover  mounds  for  us,  accompanied  by  a compan- 
ion, carefully  searched  the  Yazoo  river  from  Sharkey  to  its  union  with  the  Missis- 
si{)pi,  a distance  of  about  257  miles  l)y  water,  and  also  covered  the  Sunflower  from 
Faisonia  to  its  junction  with  the  Yazoo — about  96  miles,  following  the  course  of 
the  stream. 

After  about  one  month’s  continuous  work  on  the  Yazoo  and  Sunflower  rivers 

• M.  I’Abbe  Aniedee  Gosselin,  “ Les  Sauvages  du  Mississippi,”  Congres  International  des  Anitiri- 
canistes,  (Quebec,  1906,  Vol.  I,  p.  43. 

* Ibid.,  p.  43,  et  .seq. 

’ H.  F.  French,  Hist.  Coll,  of  La.  and  Fla.,  New  York,  1875,  p.  25,  footnote. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  5G7 


(Jiinuary-Febnuiry,  1908),  it  having  become  evident  to  us  that  our  search  was 
iuade<|uately  rewarded,  we  determined  to  change  to  anotlier  field,  after  liaving 
worked  on  the  Yazoo  river  as  far  northward  as  Racetrack  Landing,  187  miles  by 
water  above  Vicksburg;  and  to  (leorge  lake  on  the  Sunllower  river,  17  miles  by 
river  above  its  union  with  the  Yazoo. 

The  Yazoo  and  Sunllower  river  region  forms  part  of  a great  alluvial  plain  that 
is  subject  to  overHow  and  is  almost  without  high  ground  of  any  sort.  Hence  our 
investigation  was  greatly  hampered,  since  permission  to  dig  was  refused  in  some 
instances,  and  restricted  in  many  others,  owing  to  the  necessity  for  landowners  to 
preserve  their  mounds  for  the  use  of  cattle  and  hogs  (and  for  the  inhabitants  on 
occasion)  in  periods  of  high  water.  The  need  to  leave  the  mounds,  therefore,  in  as 
good  condition  as  that  in  which  they  were  found  and  without  involving  any  part  of 
them  which  might  he  exposed  to  wash  of  water,  accounts  for  many  instances  of 
incomplete  investigation  on  our  part. 

Presumably,  however,  the  result  of  our  research  was  not  materially  affected 
by  our  limitations,  as  enough  work  was  done,  we  think,'  to  })rove  the  preponderance 
of  domiciliary  mounds  in  the  Yazoo-Sun dower  region  and  to  show  that  the  placing 
of  artifacts  with  the  dead  was  not  widely  practised  there. 

Two  points  of  interest,  however,  Avere  demonstrated  by  our  work  : 

According  to  Du  Pratz,®  no  tribe  of  Louisiana  practised  cremation — referring, 
of  course,  to  the  great  region  then  known  as  Louisiana,  of  which  the  Yazoo 
territory  formed  a ]>art. 

As  our  report  on  the  Yazoo  country  will  show,  cremation  was  practised  there 
in  aboriginal  times.  Hence  we  must  conclude  that  the  custom  antedated  the  time 
of  Du  Pratz’s  sojourn  in  the  region  (1718  and  later),  or,  which  is  more  likely,  that 
this  author,  though  a careful  observer,  was  not  able  accurately  to  report  on  all  the 
customs  of  so  e.xteuded  a territory. 

Another  point  determined  by  our  work  relates  to  urn-hurial. 

When  we  wrote  our  paper  on  Urn-hurial  in  the  United  States,”  ® we  were 
unable  to  cite  an  instance  of  the  discovery  of  an  aboriginal  urn-hurial  in  Missis- 
sipj>i.  Our  work  on  the  Yazoo  shows  it  to  have  been  practised  there  upon  one 
occasion  at  least. 

No  skulls  or  other  skeletal  remains,  in  a condition  to  keej),  were  found  by  us 
in  the  Yazoo-Sun dower  region. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  describe  our  work  in  detail,  first  tendering  the  Avarm 
thanks  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  to  all  owners  of  mounds  or  of 
aboriginal  dwelling-sites,  Avho  so  kindly  granted  us  permission  to  dig  in  a region 
Avhere  for  reasons  Ave  have  explained,  the  favor  sometimes  iinolved  jiersonal 
sacrifice. 

' We  wilf  gladly  transfer  to  any  institution  or  to  any  responsible  individual  willing  to  undertake 
the  work,  all  the  data  as  to  mounds,  and  letters  of  permission  relating  to  that  part  of  the  Yazoo  and 
Sunflower  rivers  covered  by  onr  agents,  but  not  investigated  by  us. 

2 Op.  cit.,  Vol.  1 1 1,  p.  24. 

’American  Anthropologist,  Oct.-Dec.,  1904. 


568  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Mounds  and  Sites  Investigated  on  the  Yazoo  Rivek. 

Mounds  at  King’s  Crossing,  WarrtMi  County  (3). 

Dwelling-site  below  Haynes’  Bluir  Landing,  Warren  County. 

Mounds  near  Haynes’  Bluir  Landing,  Warren  County  (3). 

Mounds  near  Leist  Landing,  Issa(iuena  County  (2). 

Mounds  near  O’Neill’s  Landing.  Yazoo  County  (2). 

Mound  near  Stella  Landimx,  Yazoo  Countv. 

Mound  near  Clark’s  Ferry,  Yazoo  County. 

Dwelling-site  near  Monterey  Landing,  Yazoo  County. 

Mound  at  Carutliers’  Landing,  Yazoo  County. 

Dwelling-site  at  Koalunsa  Landing,  Yazoo  County. 

Mound  near  Parker’s  Bayou,  Holmes  County. 

Mounds  at  the  Fort  Place,  Yazoo  County  (5). 

Mound  near  entrance  of  Tchula  Lake,  Holmes  County. 

Mound  on  Tchula  Lake,  Holmes  County. 

Mounds  at  the  Peaster  Place,  Holmes  County  (4). 

Mound  at  Belzona,  Washington  County. 

Mound  above  Belzona,  Holmes  County. 

Mound  near  Welsh  Camp  Landing,  Holmes  County. 

Mound  near  entrance  of  Wasp  Lake,  Washington  Count}’. 

Mounds  near  Wasp  Lake,  Washington  County  (G). 

Mounds  near  Silent  Shade  Landing,  Holmes  County  (2). 

Mounds  near  Carey  Middleton  Gin  Landing,  Holmes  County  (2). 

Mounds  near  head  of  Honey  Island,  Holmes  County  (2). 

Mound  near  mouth  of  Yalobusha  river,  Leflore  County. 

Mounds  on  the  Lucas  Plantation,  Leflore  (ounty  (3). 

Mound  at  Racetrack  Landing,  Leflore  County. 

Mounds  at  King’s  ('hossing,  Warren  (’ounty. 

At  King’s  Crossing,  about  four  miles  in  a northerly  direction  from  Vicksburg, 
in  full  view  from  the  Yazoo  and  Mississippi  \ alley  Railroad,  are  three  mounds, 
and  what  may  be  parts  of  other  mounds. 

Mound  A,  on  property  belonging  to  Miss  M.  C.  Collier,  resident  on  the  place, 
was  used  as  a fortification  by  the  (Jonfederates  during  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and 
cannon-balls  may  still  be  seen  partly  imbedded  in  its  clay. 

Owing  to  the  historical  associations  of  the  mound,  the  owner  was  unwilling 
that  digging  should  alter  its  present  shape;  and  in  point  of  fact,  investigation 
seemed  almost  unnecessary,  inasmuch  as  the  mound  evidently  belongs  to  the  domi- 
ciliary class  so  abundant  throughout  southern  United  States. 

At  the  time  of  our  visit  the  mound  was  about  25  feet  in  height  and  showed 
much  irregularity  in  shape,  though  doubtless  formerly  it  had  been  a symmetrical 
oblong.  Its  basal  measurements  N.  and  S.  and  F].  and  W.  were  respectively  157 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  569 


feet  and  173  feet.  The  diameters  of  the  summit  plateau,  in  the  same  directions, 
were  74  feet  and  92  feet. 


Mound  R,  al)out  100  feet  east  of  Mound  A.,  on  property  of  Mr.  T.  1).  .Major, 
residing  nearby,  was  much  spread  by  long  cultivation. 

Its  height  was  5 feet  5 inches;  its  base,  of  irregular  outline,  was  96  feet  N. 
and  S.,  and  84  feet  E.  and  W.  Fourteen  trial-holes  * were  put  into  this  mound 
(which  probably  was  domiciliary),  without  result. 

Nine  trial-holes  were  dug  without  success  into  soil  blackened  with  organic 
matter,  somewhat  to  the  north  of  the  mound,  evidently  a former  dwelling-site. 


Mound  C,  about  250  feet  E.  by  N.  from  Mound  A,  on  property  belonging  to 
Miss  Collier,  has  been  almost  cut  to  j)ieces — in  the  first  place  for  use  as  a fortifica- 
tion, and  later,  it  is  said,  by  treasure  seekers. 


Dwelling-Site  kelow  Haynes’  Bluff  Landing,  Warre.n  County. 


Mounds  ne.vr  Haynes’  Bluff  Landing, 

Warren  County. 

On  the  plantation  of  Mr.  II.  K.  \yilliams,  resi- 
dent on  the  place,  about  one  half  mile  in  a NE.  direc- 
tion from  Haynes’  Bluff  Landing,  on  ground  sloping 
toward  the  river,  is  a symmetrical  mound,  evidently 
domiciliary. 

This  mound,  to  some  e.xtent  impaired  by  wash  of  water  at  its  NE.  angle,  has 
a roadway  leading  out  from  its  southern  side. 

Its  height  from  the  western  side  is  30  feet  2 inches;  from  the  eastern  side,  28 
feet  5 inches. 


Fio.  1. — Objectof  limestone.  Haynes’ 
Biiiir  Landing.  (Full  size.) 


About  one-half  mile  in  a southerly  direction  from  Haynes’  Bluff  Landing,  on 
property  belonging  to  Mr.  Richard  Harris,  resident  on  the  place,  is  a small  dwell- 
ing-site in  a cultivated  field. 

Investigation  yielded  nothing  of  interest  with  the  exception  of  a neatly-made 
object  of  limestone,  about  the  shape  and  size  of  a hen’s 
egg,  encircled  somewhat  above  the  middle  by  a groove 
(Fig.  1),  which  was  found  on  the  surface. 

On  Mr.  Harris’  property  also  are  two  elevations 
that  were  believed  by  persons  in  the  neighborhood  to 
be  Indian  mounds.  Investigation,  however,  showed 
them  to  be  ledges  of  lime-rock  {lartly  covered  with 
soil,  the  stone  being  similar  to  that  in  the  low  hills 
about  150  yards  distant. 


' .Vll  trial  liole.s  mentioned  in  tliis  report  were  designed  to  be  6 feet  by  4 feet,  by  4 feet  deep. 
These  dimensions,  however,  were  not  always  strictly  maintained. 

72  JOURX.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


570  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


The  mound  is  practically  s(piarc,  the  base  being  about  185  feet  in  each  direc- 
tion. The  sutmnit  plateau  is  75  feet  square. 

Fourteen  trial-boles  were  put  down,  resulting  in  the  discovery  of  a few  frag- 
ments of  ])ones  of  lower  animals,  mostly  of  the  deer,  and  a bone  which  Prof.  F.  A. 
Lucas  kindly  has  identified  as  being  part  of  a tibia  of  a wild  turkey.  There  were 
also  some  bits  of  earthenware,  shell-tempered  as  a rule,  a few  having  a fine  black 
polish  on  each  side. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  this  mound  are  three  elevations,  one  of  which  we 
believe  to  be  a knoll  that  has  served  as  a dwelling-site;  the  other  two,  remnants 
of  mounds. 

In  one  of  these,  just  below  the  surface,  was  a skeleton  having  small  glass 
beads  at  the  neck. 

Mounds  ne.\r  Leist  L.wding,  Iss.\quen.\  County. 

On  the  property  of  Mr.  Samuel  Leist,  living  on  the  })lace,  are  two  mounds; 
an  elevation  in  a field,  probably  a dwelling-site;  and  the  remnant  of  a low  mound, 
on  which  stands  a house. 

One  of  the  mounds  which,  like  so  many  in  this  region,  serves  as  a refuge 
for  cattle  in  flood-time,  is  about  400  yards  in  a westerly  direction  from  Leist 
Landing. 

Its  height,  taken  from  the  eastern  side,  is  29  feet  4 inches. 

Its  basal  outline  is  circular  in  a general  way,  but  somewhat  irregular  owing  to 
cultivation  of  the  field  in  which  it  stands  and  to  wash  of  water  in  times  of  overflow 
of  the  Yazoo.  The  sides  of  the  mound  also  have  been  impaired  through  wash  of 
rain  and  trampling  of  cattle  in  all  probability,  as  the  highest  floods  remembered 
have  covered  only  the  lower  ten  feet  of  the  mound. 

The  diameter  of  the  mound  is  about  174  feet.  There  is  but  little  summit 
plateau. 

Eleven  trial-holes  were  put  down  in  the  upper  part  of  the  mound,  the  material 
encountered  being  hard  loam.'  These  trial-holes  were  carefully  filled  by  us  accord- 
ing to  our  invariable  custom. 

With  the  exception  of  three  recent  burials  in  coflins,  nothing  was  encountered 
by  us  in  this  mound. 

On  the  bank  of  the  Little  Sunflower  river,  which  here  ap{)roaches  the  Yazoo, 
and  about  half  a mile  N.  by  W.  from  the  mound  just  described,  is  a curious  plat- 
form covered  with  loam  filled  with  evidence  of  long  occupancy,  averaging  8 feet  in 
height  except  at  the  southern  end,  where  the  elevation  is  14  feet.  Its  outline  is 
irregularly  oblong.  Its  basal  diameter  N.  and  S.  is  about  305  feet ; E.  and  M".  it 
is  245  feet,  appro.ximately. 

‘ Tlie  composition  of  the  mounds  of  tlie  Yazoo-Sunflower  region  is  alluvial  deposit,  rich  in  clay, 
with  the  addition  of  more  or  less  organic  matter  in  places. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  571 


Fourteen  trial-holes  through  dark  loam  to  yellow  clay  below,  showing  the 
mound  had  been  built  and  then  liv^ed  upon,  yielded  no  object  of  importance. 

Morxi)  NEAR  .Miller  Landing,  Sharkey  ('ounty. 

A mound  near  Miller  Landing  was  reported  by  our  agent  to  be  about  12  feet 
in  height  and  aliout  one  acre  in  e.xtent,  but  as  several  houses  were  upon  it,  investi- 
gation was  impossible. 

-Mound  near  Sweet  Home  Landing,  Yazoo  ('ounty. 

We  did  not  visit  a small  mound  reported  to  us  as  being  near  Sweet  Home 
Landing,  as  perrni.ssion  to  dig  was  not  obtainable. 

Mound.s  near  Big  .Mound  Landing  a.nd  Syca.more  Landing,  Yazoo  County. 

These  mounds,  included  in  the  list  of  our  agent  as  near  Big  Mound  Landing 
and  Sycamore  Landing,  were  not  investigated  by  us,  the  owner  e.\plaining  they 
were  needed  for  protective  ])urposes  in  times  of  overilow. 

.Mound  near  Friedlander  Landi.ng,  Yazoo  C'ounty. 

.V  mound  near  Friedlander  Landing  was  visited  by  us,  but  not  opened,  permis- 
sion not  being  obtainable. 

.Mounds  .near  O’Neill’s  Landing,  Yazoo  (’ounty. 

On  property  of  Mr.  R.  S.  (Joody,  living  on  the  place,  in  a cultivated  field  about 
one  (juarter  mile  from  O’Neill’s  Landing,  is  a small  circular  mound  2 feet  6 inches 
in  height  and  33  feet  in  diameter. 

Seven  trial-holes  to  the  base,  were  put  down  with  negative  result. 

In  woods  one  half  mile  in  a northerly  direction  from  O’Neill’s  Landing^ 
also  on  property  of  Mr.  (,’oody,  was  a circular  mound  28  feet  in  diameter  and  3 
feet  in  height. 

A small  hole  had  been  dug  into  the  central  part  of  the  mound  previous  to  our 

visit. 

This  mound  was  totally  demolished  by  ns,  two  bits  of  pottery  being  the  only 
discovery  made. 


.Mound  near  Stella  Landi.ng,  Yazoo  County. 

(^n  property  of  Mrs.  II.  L.  Taylor,  of  Bentonia,  Miss.,  in  a cultivated  field 
about  100  yards  southwest  from  Stella  Landing,  is  a symmetrical,  conical  mound  7 
feet  in  height  and  49  feet  in  diameter  of  base. 

Two  holes,  0 feet  by  3 feet  each,  which  were  about  all  the  limited  summit 
plateau  could  accommodate,  were  put  down  and  later  were  considerably  enlarged 
by  extending  them  under  the  slope. 


572  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


From  4 feet  4 inches  to  4 feet  10  inches  down  (the  outer  parts  of  the  layer 
sloping  downward)  was  a stratum  of  shells  mingled  with  dry,  clayey  material,  light 
brown  iir  color.  The  thickness  of  this  layer  was  not  determined,  a hole  1 foot  8 
inches  in  depth  not  having  reached  the  bottom. 

A selection  of  the  shells  kindly  has  been  identified  by  Dr.  II.  A.  Pilsljry,  as 
follows:  Quadnila  trapczdides^  Q.  pusiiilosa^  Q.  lachrymosa^  0.  hiyoua^  Q.  ellip- 
sis^ Lmtipsilis  pinpuratus^  L.  hydianus^  L.  Jallaciosus,  I ivipanis  subpurpurens^ 
Pyramidula  alteniata — all  being  shells  found  in  the  Ya/oo  region  at  the  present 
time. 

Sloping  downward  in  the  mound,  the  head  being  3 feet  from  the  surface,  the 
knees,  4 feet  9 inches,  was  a skeleton  of  an  ad  nit,  at  full  length,  face  downward, 
the  head  pointing  west  by  north. 

The  beneficial  effect  of  the  infiltration  of  lime  salts  on  bones  was  well  illus- 
trated in  the  case  of  this  skeleton,  which,  down  to  the  knees,  was  in  a condition  so 
friable  as  to  fall  almost  into  dust  under  slight  pressure.  From  the  knees  down, 
however,  the  bones  lay  on  the  shell  layer,  of  which  mention  has  been  made,  and 
were  hard  and  excellently  preserved. 

The  tibim  showed  evidence  of  slight  periostitis. 

Under  the  same  conditions  as  those  of  the  burial  just  described,  and  interred 
in  exactly  the  same  manner,  save  that  it  headed  WSW.,  lay  another  adult  skeleton. 

Neither  of  these  skeletons  had  artifacts  of  any  kind  in  as.sociation,  except  a 
fragment  of  pottery,  which  was  probably  an  accidental  introduction. 

About  G inches  above  the  pelvis  of  one  of  the  skeletons  were  the  skull  and 
some  of  the  cervical  vertebne  of  a child.  The  remainder  of  this  skeleton,  proba- 
bly little  more  than  dust,  had,  no  doubt,  been  thrown  out  in  the  digging  without 
attracting  attention.  Around  the  neck  were  a number  of  shell  beads. 

In  (piest  of  a cemetery,  twenty-four  trial-holes  from  1 foot  to  2.5  feet  in  depth, 
as  the  case  required,  were  put  down  without  result  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
mound,  through  black  soil  showing  former  occupancy,  to  undisturbed  clay. 

Mounds  near  Exola  Landing,  Oak  \'ai.eey  Landing,  Rialto  Landing, 

Yazoo  ('ountv. 

M"e  were  unable  to  obtain  permission  to  explore  mounds  reported  by  our  agent 
to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  Enola  Landing,  Oak  \hilley  Landing,  and  Rialto 
Landing. 

Mound  near  Tarsus  Landing,  Yazoo  (’ounty. 

A mound  near  Tarsus  Landing,  on  ])roperty  of  Mr.  John  S.  Ilord,  of  Rose- 
neath.  Miss.,  was  not  visited  by  us,  permission  to  dig  having  reached  us  after  we 
had  passed  beyond  the  place. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  573 


Mounds  neak  Yazoo  ('ity,  Yazoo  ('ounty. 

A number  of  moinuls  near  Yazoo  City,  whicli  were  kindly  put  at  our  disposal 
by  their  owners,  Messrs.  J.  C.  Hollingsworth  and  C.  II.  Clark,  of  that  city,  were 
not  visited  by  us  as  we  were  informed  by  our  agent,  who  had  seen  the  mounds, 
that  they  had  been  dug  into  already  ; ' and  the  prospect  for  gleanings  in  the  Yazoo 
region  was  not  alluring. 

Mound  near  ('lark’s  Ferry,  Yazoo  ('ounty. 

In  a cultivated  field  helonging  to  Mr.  E.  T.  Clark,  living  nearby,  about  one 
half  mile  AVSW.  from  (Jlark’s  Ferry,  in  full  view  from  the  river,  is  a symmetrical, 
conical  mound,  12  feet  in  height  and  64  feet  across  the  base.  The  summit  plateau 
is  17  feet  in  diameter. 

A deep  hole,  6 feet  by  5 feet,  starting  in  the  middle  of  the  summit  plateau, 
had  been  made  at  night,  ])revious  to  our  visit,  presumably  by  treasure-seekers. 

Two  trial-holes,  each  carried  to  a depth  of  about  5 feet,  produced  only 
negative  results. 

In  many  parts  of  the  field  around  the  mound  are  deposits  of  broken  shells, 
pebbles,  fragments  of  implements,  etc. — the  usual  debris  of  dwelling-sites.  Frag- 
ments of  coarse  [)ottery  were  abundant;  some  of  these  bear  cord-marked  decoration, 
a few  are  colored  with  red  pigment. 

About  75  yards  due  south  from  the  mound  is  a rise  in  the  ground,  thickly 
covered  with  broken  shells  and  other  debris.  Twelve  trial-holes  put  down  to 
undisturbed  soil  yielded  nothing  of  importance. 

Dwelling-Site  near  Monterey  Landing,  Yazoo  ('ounty. 

In  a corn-field  about  one  half  mile  NE.  from  Monterey  Landing,  on  property 
of  Mr.  M.  R.  Payne,  of  Koalunsa  Landing,  is  much  debris  on  the  surface,  denoting 
occu})ancy  in  aboriginal  times.  Fourteen  trial-holes  were  without  avail. 

Mound  at  ('arutkers’  Landing,  Yazoo  County. 

At  Caruthers’  Landing,  on  ]>roperty  belonging  to  Mr.  J.  S.  Caruthers,  of  Yazoo 
(Jity,  is  a mound  in  full  view  from  the  river  bank.  This  mound,  which  forms  part 
of  a barn-yard,  is  4 feet  in  height  and  44  feet  across  its  circular  base.  It  lias  been 
much  trampled  by  cattle,  and  is  conse<iuently  spread  and  irregular  in  outline. 
Fourteen  trial-holes  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  two  arrowheads. 

Dwelling-Site  at  Koalunsa  Landing,  Yazoo  ('ounty. 

At  Koalunsa  Landing  is  the  residence  of  Mr.  M.  R.  Payne,  of  whose  property 
at  Monterey  Landing,  mention  has  been  made. 

Immediately  back  of  Mr.  Payne’s  residence  are  shell  deposits  of  considerable 

‘ Probably  the  Chainpliii  mounds  described  in  Twelfth  Ann.  Rep.  liur.  Am.  Ethnol.,  p.  260, 


et  scq. 


574  CERTAIN  xMOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


extent,  into  which  fourteen  trial-holes  were  dug  by  us,  resulting  in  the  finding,  in 
two  places,  of  many  human  bones,  which,  lying  just  below  the  surface,  gave  evi- 
dence of  Iniving  been  scattered  by  the  plow. 

Mounds  near  Belle  Pkaikie  Landing  and  Beech  Grove  Landing, 

Yazoo  County. 

Our  agent  reported  to  us  the  presence  of  low  mounds  near  Belle  Prairie  Land- 
ing and  Beech  Grove  Landing,  which  we  did  not  visit  owing  to  inability  to  obtain 
permission  to  investigate, 

.Mound  near  Parker’s  Bayou,  Holmes  C'ounty. 

In  a cultivated  field,  about  1.25  miles  in  a northerly  direction  from  Parker’s 
Bayou,  on  property  belonging  to  Mrs.  Carrie  ML  James,  of  Yazoo  City,  adjacent  to 
the  barn-yard,  is  a mound  4 feet  7 inches  in  height  and  64  feet  across  its  irregularly 
circular  base.  Fourteen  trial-holes  gave  no  indication  of  human  hones  or  of 
artifacts. 

We  were  informed  by  tenants  on  this  property  that  the  mound  had  been 
erected  ‘‘by  the  old  master”  in  coni[)aratively  recent  times,  for  the  harboring  of 
cattle  in  high  water. 

.Mounds  at  the  Fort  Place,  Yazoo  County. 

On  the  Fort  Place,  the  property  of  Mr.  W.  B.  Ricks,  of  (Janton,  Miss.,  is  a 
large  mound  with  a house  u[)on  it.  in  fiill  view  from  the  river  banks.  As  this 
mound,  we  were  informed,  had  been  altered  in  shape  to  accommodate  the  house, 
no  measurements  of  it  were  taken  by  us,  nor  was  any  digging  in  the  mound 
attempted. 

About  40  yards  M'^NW.  from  the  large  mound,  in  a cultivated  field,  is  a mound 
much  spread  by  the  jilow,  having  at  present  a height  of  3.8  feet  and  basal  diame- 
ters of  108  feet  and  GO  feet.  Seven  trial-holes  yielded  nothing  of  interest. 

About  65  yards  SSW.  from  the  large  mound,  in  the  same  field,  and  evidently 
much  reduced  in  height  and  somewhat  increased  in  diameter  by  cultivation,  is  a 
mound  3 feet  4 inches  high  and  62  by  70  feet  in  diameter.  Si.x  trial-holes  were 
without  positive  result. 

A main  road  in  front  of  the  house  has  cut  throuirh  two  other  mounds,  leaviinr 
only  remnants.  These  mounds,  which  evidently  had  been  about  the  same  size  as 
the  two  in  the  field,  are  respectively  30  yards  NNE.  and  40  yards  ESE.  from  the 
principal  mound  with  the  house  mion  it. 

We  have  in  connection  with  these  mounds,  a rather  interesting  feature.  Each 
of  the  four  corners  of  the  princi})al  mound  is  directed  toward  one  of  the  surround- 
ing mounds,  perhaps  indicating  attention  paid  by  the  aborigines  to  the  cardinal 
directions.  The  corner  of  the  great  mound,  which  is  directed  toward  the  mound 
ESPk  of  it,  would  be,  in  the  winter  time,  about  in  the  direction  of  the  rising  sun. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  575 


.MOUXI)  NEAR  F'.XTRAXCE  OF  TcKFLA  LaKE,  HoLMES  (’oUXTY. 

About  300  yards  W.  by  N.  Iroin  the  landing  on  Honey  island,  at  the  mouth  of 
Tchula  lake,'  iu  a cultivated  held  on  property  of  Mr.  Alfred  Key,  living  nearby,  is 
a mound  3 feet  8 inches  high  and  80  feet  by  60  feet  in  diameter  of  base. 

Thirteen  trial-holes  yielded  neither  bones  nor  artifacts,  but  in  several  cases 
they  exposed  deposits  of  musselshells  which  were  too  Iragmentary  for  identification. 

In  the  held  in  which  the  mound  was  situated  were  many  bits  of  musselshells 
and  other  debris,  denoting  the  firmer  pre.sence  of  aboriginal  jiopulation. 

From  the  surface  came  a fragment  of  an  earthenware  vessel,  seemingly  a plat- 
ter, the  inner  face  of  which  bears  a decoration  consisting  of  a band  of  bright  red 
paint  with  alternate  bands  at  right  angles,  showing  red  jiaint  and  the  yellow  of  the 
ware.  The  pigment  has  been  determined  by  Dr.  H.  F.  Keller  to  be  red  oxide  of 
iron. 

Mound  ox  Tckula  Lake,  Holmes  County. 

On  the  AV.  bank  ol' Tchula  lake,  about  three  miles  from  its  mouth,  on  property 
of  Messrs.  Wise  Brothers,  of  Yazoo  Citv,  is  a svmmetrical  mound  7.5  feet  in  lieii>fht 
and  55  feet  across  its  circular  base.  Three  trial-holes  of  unusually  large  size  were 
})ut  down,  this  number  being  all  the  top  of  the  mound  would  accommodate,  the 
destruction  of  the  sides  not  being  desirable.  The  clay  1‘rom  which  this  mound  was 
made  was  dry  and  hard,  necessitating  the  use  of  a pick. 

.Vbout  1 f)ot  down  were  a few  fragments  of  human  bones;  and  3 feet  from  the 
surface  were  bits  of  earthenware  representing  an  entire  pot,  or  a large  part  of  one, 
with  decoration  resembling  the  impress  of  finger-nails. 

Mounds  at  the  Peaster  Place,  Holmes  County. 

On  the  Peaster  Place,  about  4 miles  up,  on  the  western  side  of  Tchula  lake, 
on  property  belonging  to  Mr.  R.  L.  Peaster,  of  Thornton,  Miss.,  are  four  aboriginal 
mounds. 

Mound  A,  a symmetrical  mound  in  sight  of  the  bank  of  the  old  river,  about 
150  yards  in  an  ESE.  course  from  the  landing,  has  a height  of  9 feet  4 inches;  a 
diameter  at  base  of  58  feet. 

A hole  with  perpendicular  sides,  18  feet  6 inches  long  and  8 feet  wide,  was 
put  down  from  the  top  of  the  mound.  This  excavation  was  D)  feet  6 inches  deep 
in  the  middle,  10  feet  deep  at  one  end,  and  9 feet  in  depth  at  the  other  end,  which 
was  under  a slo})ing  part  of  the  mound,  the  excavation  including  more  than  the 
summit  plateau. 

The  outer  part  of  the  mound  consisted  of  a layer  of  loamy  material,  dark  with 
admixture  of  organic  matter,  from  2 ieet  to  2.5  1‘eet  in  thickness.  Below  this  Avas 
a mixture — mainly  ehi}' — which  continued  until  the  base  of  the  mound  was  reached, 

' In  many  part?  of  the  South  what  remains  of  tlie  former  course  of  a river  is  called  a lake. 
Tchula  lake  was  part  of  the  Yazoo  river  in  former  times. 


576  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


and  owing  to  its  hard  and  tenacious  character  required  the  aid  of  a pick  to  remove. 
This  fact  and  the  restricted  space  in  which  the  diggers  were  confined  made  the 
work  a veritable  task. 

Forty-seven  burials  were  met  with  from  just  below  the  surface  to  a thin  layer 
of  dark  material  9 feet  down,  on  which  were  three  fireplaces,  one  having  fish-scales 
near  it. 

This  laj-er,  on  which  were  scattered  bits  of  musselshells  and  fragments  of 
bones  of  lower  animals,  was  probably  the  original  surface  of  the  ground.  On  this 
layer  had  been  deposited  a number  of  burials,  but  no  trace  of  human  remains  was 
found  below  it,  and  the  ground  seemed  undisturbed. 

The  human  remains  in  this  mound  (with  the  exception  of  calcined  fragments 
which,  of  course,  were  hardened  by  fire)  were  in  the  last  stage  of  decay  and  with 
but  two  or  three  exceptions  (which,  strangely  enough,  came  from  near  the  base), 
could,  even  includimr  the  teeth,  be  readilv  reduced  to  dust  between  the  thumb  and 
finger. 

The  form  of  twenty-six  burials  was  undetermined  by  us. 

Certain  burials  will  be  considered  in  detail. 

Rurial  No.  1,  1 foot  8 inches  down,  was  a skeleton  of  an  adult,  lying  at  full 
length  on  the  back,  the  skull  SSW.  This  skeleton,  from  the  skull  to  the  pelvis 
inclusive,  had  lain  on  a bed  of  fire  and  the  bones  were  badly  affected  by  the  heat, 
which  had  burnt  the  adjacent  clay  to  a red  hue. 

Burial  No.  2,  10  inches  down,  was  an  adult  skeleton  extended  at  length  on  the 
back,  the  liead  directed  SE.  This  skeleton,  from  the  up|)er  part  of  the  chest  down 
to  and  including  the  feet,  had  lain  on  the  same  fire  as  skeleton  No.  1,  the  legs  of 
skeleton  No.  2 crossing  the  chest  of  the  other  skeleton. 

Although  such  parts  of  both  these  skeletons  as  had  been  exposed  to  heat 
showed  markedly  the  effects  of  fire,  the  bones  remained  entire  and  were  not  reduced 
to  small  calcined  fragments,  as  is  the  case  when  cremation  among  the  aborigines 
has  been  successfully  carried  out. 

Burial  No.  5 consisted  of  the  skeleton  or  of  a large  part  of  the  skeleton  of 
an  adult,  arranged  in  a bunch.  Immediately  above  this  bunch  was  a small  layer 
of  calcined  fragments  of  bone  which  had  belonged  to  a somewhat  smaller  skeleton 
than  the  one  below  it. 

The  foregoing  burials,  which  were  all  superficial,  it  will  be  noted,  were  the 
only  ones  bearing  marks  of  fire  that  were  met  with  by  us  in  this  mound. 

Burial  No.  7 consisted  of  leg  bones  and  a pelvis.  We  could  not  determine  in 
this  instance  if  the  remainder  of  the  skeleton  had  disappeared  through  decay  or  if 
no  other  bones  had  been  interred.  No  trace  of  decayed  bones  was  apparent, 
however. 

Burial  No.  9 was  the  skeleton  of  a child,  probably  Hexed  and  lying  on  the 
left  side. 

Burial  No.  II  was  a bunch,  though  some  of  the  related  bones  were  attached 
when  interred,  as,  for  instance,  a few  of  the  lumbar  vertebra'  and  the  pelvis. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  577 


Burial  No.  17.  Nine  feet  down,  that  is  to  say  on  the  base  of  the  mound,  lay 
the  skeleton  of  an  adult,  the  trunk  on  the  hack,  the  face  turned  to  the  right,  the 
up])er  arms  along  the  trunk.  The  right  forearm  was  flexed  up  to  the  outer  side  of 
the  humerus,  with  the  hand  turned  in  toward,  and  resting  on,  the  shoulder;  the 


left  forearm  was  Hexed  up  diagonally  on  the  chest. 

In  addition  there  were  the  following  burials; 

Lying  on  the  right  side,  closely  Hexed,  one  being  a child,  . . .9 

Lying  on  the  left  side,  closely  Hexed,  .......  'I 

(.'losely  flexed,  face  down,  .........  I 

Recent  disturbances,  ..........  2 


The  skulls  found  in  the  mound  showed  no  fixed  orientation. 

There  were  also  throughout  the  mound  scattered  fragments  of  human  bones 
and  in  several  instances  traces  of  decayed  bones. 

A fragment  of  a radius  showed  where  the  bone  had  healed  with  good  union 
after  a fracture. 

Mainly  with  burials  or  where  traces  of  burial  remained,  were  a number  of 
arrowheads  or  knives,  and  four  lanceheads — all  of  chert.  These  points,  with  one 
exception,  were  rather  rudely  made,  many  showing  breakage,  thus  leading  one  to 
believe  that  imperfect  objects  had  been  utilized  for  interment  with  the  dead. 

One  lancepoint  of  dark  gray  chert,  thin  and  carefully  wrought,  heart-shaped 
in  outline,  would  be  a fine  example  of  aboriginal  workmanship  were  it  not  for  the 
absence  of  the  point. 

Lying  with  the  burial  was  a “celt”  5.4  inches  long,  having  a graceful  flare  on 
one  side  of  the  edge,  though  the  flare  was  wanting  on  the  other  side.  This  hatchet 
was  given  to  Mr.  Peaster,  owner  of  the  mound. 

The  earthenware  in  this  mound  showed  no  evidence  of  shell-tempering,  but 
was  poor  in  ipiality,  and  when  found  was  spongy  from  moisture  and  reduced  to 
manv  fragments. 

With  a burial  were  parts  of  a vessel  of  moderate  size,  undecorated,  which 
probably  had  been  entire  when  deposited  in  the  mound. 

From  near  the  surface  came  many  fragments  which,  when  put  together,  formed 
part  of  a vessel  of  yellow  ware  having  as  decoration  a punctate  Held  with  ovals 
and  oblong  spaces  decorated  with  red  paint  and  surrounded  by  depressions  so  deep 
and  broad  that  the  designs  had  the  ap[)earance  of  being  in  relief. 

A part  of  a vessel  of  inferior,  dark  ware,  in  many  fragments,  bore  a rudely 
incised  scroll-decoration. 

Apparently  dissociated  was  a small,  undecorated  pot  which  fell  into  many 
fragments  on  removal. 

Mound  B,  in  a cultivated  Held,  about  one  mile  from  Mound  A,  in  a SE.  by  E. 
direction,  is  2 feet  7 inches  high  and  40  feet  in  diameter. 

Eleven  trial-holes  were  put  down,  some  of  which  came  upon  human  remains. 

One  foot  down  were  bones  not  showing  the  effect  of  fire,  though  charcoal  was 
immediately  above  them. 

73  JOURN.  X.  S.  PUILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


578  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


On  the  charcoal  and  extending  beyond  it  was  a deposit  of  calcined  fragments 
of  human  bones,  2 feet  wide,  2 feet  9 inches  long,  and  about  3 inches  thick. 

Just  below  the  surface  of  the  mound  was  a thin  layer  of  frajiments  of  cal- 
cined  human  remains  mingled  with  charcoal,  2 feet  long  by  1 foot  4 inches  wide. 
Nearby  was  a small  decorated  pot  in  fragments.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  layer 
was  another  small  pot,  also  in  fragments,  having  a slight,  rude  decoration  and  two 
loop-handles. 

Sixteen  inches  down  were  the  remains  of  probably  what  had  been  a skeleton 
extended  at  full  length  on  the  back. 


Fig.  2. — Vessel  of  eartlienware.  Mound  D.  I’easter  I’lace.  (Height  5.2  inches.) 


Two  feet  from  the  surface  w'as  an  urn-burial  consisting  of  presumably  a skele- 
ton— the  decaying  remains  of  a skull  and  some  long-bones  being  noted — which, 
after  the  removal  of  the  llesh,  had  been  taken  apart  and  arranged  in  a heap  on  the 
ground.  This  heap  had  been  covered,  or  rather,  almost  covered  (for  a few  ends  of 
long-bones  projected),  by  a large  inverted  bowl  of  most  inferior  ware,  whieh,  upon 
removal,  fell  into  many  small  fragments  paste-like  in  consistency.  This  bowl  had 
no  decoration  except  a grotestpie  representation  of  a human  head  extending  above 
the  rim,  part  of  which  also  crumbled  away.  Near  the  projecting  bones  was  a small 
“celt”  which  was  given  by  us  to  the  owner  of  the  mound. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  57<J 


A mingling  of  decayod  skcdetons  was  found  32  inches  from  the  surface. 

Mound  C,  about  95  yards  SE.  by  E.  from  Mound  B,  was  a circular  rise  of  the 
ground,  2 feet  4 inches  high  and  40  feet  in  diameter.  Eleven  trial-holes  produced 
only  negative  result. 

Mound  D is  in  a cultivated  field,  about  one-half  mile  N.  by  W.  from  Mound 
A.  Its  height  is  3 feet;  its  diameter,  83  feet.  Nine  trial-holes  exposed  two  skele- 
tons of  adults,  at  full  length  on  the  hack,  parallel  one  to  the  other,  the  heads 
directed  ESE.  At  the  skull  of  one  was  an  inverted  vessel  of  inferior  ware,  badly 
broken,  hearing  an  incised  decoration  (Fig.  2).  On  the  other  side  of  the  head  was 
part  of  a vessel  in  fragments. 

Mounds  at  Holly  Mound  Landing  and  at  Silver  City,  Yazoo  County. 

Large  rectangular  mounds  with  summit  plateaus,  evidently  domiciliary,  were 
inspected  by  us  at  Holly  Mound  Landing  and  at  Silver  City,  but  permission  to 
investigate  Avas  not  forthcoming. 

Mound  near  Springavood  Landing,  Washington  ('ounty. 

A mound  near  Springwood  Landing  Avas  reported  by  our  agent  but  Avas  not 
visited  by  us  as  the  OAvner  Avas  umvilling  to  concede  the  privilege  of  digging. 

INIound  at  Belzona,  Washington  ('ounty. 

Visible  from  the  river  bank,  about  one  quarter  mile  E.  by  N.  from  the  landing  at 
Belzona,  is  a mound,  11  feet  in  height,  on  property  of  Mr.  M.  Cohn,  of  that  place. 

This  mound,  whose  longer  sides  are  })arallel  to  the  river  bank,  Avhich,  at  this 
place,  is  east  and  Avest,  has  a diameter  of  1G5  feet  by  125  feet.  The  summit  plateau 
in  the  same  directions,  respectively,  is  9(>  feet  and  5G  feet.  Part  of  the  eastern  end 
of  the  mound  has  been  hauled  aAvay  in  order  to  utilize  the  shell,  a large  admixture 
of  Avhich,  mingled  Avith  dark  loam,  is  present  in  the  mound. 

TAvelve  trial-holes  put  doAvn  in  the  summit  plateau  resulted  in  the  finding  of 
tAvo  fragments  of  a human  femur  in  one  instance  and  a human  os  ca/a's  in  another. 
Presumably  these  bones  had  been  gathered  Avith  material  for  the  construction  of 
the  mound. 

One  trial-hole  exposed  six  post-holes  in  line,  about  30  inches  Irom  the  surfaee. 
These  holes  AA^ere  from  3.5  to  4 inches  in  diameter  and  about  2 feet  in  depth.  In 
another  excavation  Avere  tAvo  similar  post-holes. 

No  doubt  an  aboriginal  building  had  once  stood  on  a part  of  the  mound  belbre 
its  final  imu’ease  in  height. 

Mound  above  Belzona,  Holmes  County. 

About  1 mile  above  Belzona,  but  on  the  ojiposite  side  of  the  river,  immediately 
at  the  Avater’s  edge,  on  pro]>erty  of  Mr.  M.  R.  Payne,  of  Koalunsa  Landing,  Miss., 
Avhose  kindness  in  permitting  us  to  dig  elseAvhere  on  the  riA’er  Ave  have  liad  occasion 


580  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


to  acknowledge,  is  a mound  5 feet  G inches  in  height  and  94  feet  in  diameter. 
Eleven  trial-holes  were  sunk  without  result. 

Mound  ne.\r  Welsh  C.\mp  Landin(;,  Holmes  County. 

On  property  belonging  to  Messrs.  L.  G.  and  J.  T.  Montgomery,  of  Yazoo  Cit\', 
about  three-quarters  of  a mile  in  a straight  line  SSE.  from  Welsh  Camp  Landing, 
though  considerably  farther  by  tlie  road,  at  the  edge  of  a swamp  and  in  full  view 
from  the  road,  was  a symmetrical  mound,  slightly  furrowed  in  places  by  rain. 

On  the  surface  of  this  mound  we  picked  up  a small  pottery  vessel  with  a dec- 
oration probably  made  by  trailing  a broad  point  on  the  surface  of  the  clay  before 
firing.  The  decoration,  however,  had  become  rather  indistinct  through  exposure. 

Near  the  foot  of  the  mound  lay  an  arrowhead  or  knife,  of  chert,  and  an  object 
probably  of  red  sandstone,  flat  on  one  side,  convex  on  the  other,  3.75  inches  in 
diameter  and  1.5  inches  thick. 

The  diameter  of  the  ba.se  of  the  mound,  which  was  circular,  was  47  feet;  the 
height  as  taken  by  us  was  9 feet,  but  we  are  inclined  to  believe  this  figure  exceeded 
the  actual  height,  inasmuch  as  a perpendicular  line  from  the  summit  plateau  to 
undisturbed  ground  at  the  base  jiroved  to  be  but  7 feet  9 inches  in  length. 

This  mound,  which  was  surrounded  and  jiractically  dug  down  by  us,  but  sub- 
se([uently  was  rebuilt,  was  composed  of  soft,  brown  loam  in  the  outer  parts,  but  as 
the  digging  progressed  hard  and  tenacious  material  was  encountered,  requiring  time 
and  much  work  to  penetrate  it. 

What  seemed  to  be  the  base  of  the  mound  was  a line  of  black  soil  containing 
a few  potsherds  as  well  as  fragments  of  bones  of  lower  animals.  Below  it  was 
undisturbed  soil. 

The  first  burial  was  encountered  16  feet  from  the  center  of  the  mound,  and 
consisted  of  human  teeth  and  a few  fragments  of  bone  in  the  last  stage  of  decay. 

In  all,  seventeen  burials  were  met  with,  from  1 foot  9 indies  to  8 feet  8 inches 
in  depth,  measured  to  the  ujiper  surface  of  the  burials — those  at  tlie  greatest  dejith 
being  four  skeletons  in  a circular  grave  at  the  center  of  the  mound,  5 feet  8 inches 
in  diameter  and  extending  1 foot  5 inches  below  the  base. 

These  four  skeletons,  with  skulls  in  three  diflerent  directions,  lay  three  on 
their  left  sides  and  one  on  the  right  side.  Three  were  closely  flexed,  the  knees 
being  drawn  up  well  toward  the  chin.  One  of  the  skeletons,  flexed  on  the  left 
side,  had  the  legs  at  right  angles  to  the  body. 

The  skeletons,  somewhat  crushed,  occupied  a space  G inches  in  thickness. 

But  one  other  grave  below  the  base — a bunched  burial  or  a much-detached 
skeleton — was  found  by  us. 

The  predominating  form  of  burial  in  this  mound,  where  determination  was 
possible,  was  that  of  close  flexion,  there  being,  in  addition  to  the  burials  noted, 
four  skeletons  closely  flexed  on  the  right  side,  and  two  closely  flexed  on  the  left 
side.  Moreover,  two  badly  decayed  skeletons  indicated  close  flexion  on  the  left 
side.  There  was  also  one  bunched  burial  which  may  liave  been  only  a skeleton 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  581 


rather  more  detached  tlian  the  others,  at  the  time  of  interment.  One  of  the  closelj 
dexed  skeletons  lay  with  the  mandible  reversed. 

There  were  also  a burial  disturbed  in  caved  soil  and  one  represented  by  traces 
of  bone  and  teeth  only.  Probably  others  of  this  kind  were  passed  over  by  us 
witliout  notice. 

The  yield  of  artifacts  from  this  mound,  considering  the  initial  discovery,  was 
disappointing.  With  each  of  two  burials  lay  a single  arrowhead  of  chert,  and  six- 
teen lanceheads  and  arrowheads  or  knives,  all  of  chert,  but  one  Avhich  was  of 
(piartzite,  none  carefully  made,  lay  singly  throughout  the  mound,  apart  Irom  burials. 

In  addition,  also  dissociated,  a number  of  broken  arrowheads  or  knives  and  a 
few  small  cutting  implements,  all  of  chert,  were  encountered. 

There  were  in  the  mound  also  a number  of  small  balls  of  compact,  brown  clay 
— possibly  sun-dried — and  several  ol)jects  of  the  same  material,  diamond-shaped  in 
section  and  evidently  intentionally  made. 

Mouxd  near  Entrance  of  Wasp  Lake,  Washington  County. 

At  the  left  side  of  Was{>  lake,  going  in,  about  one-half  mile  in  a westerly 
direction  from  the  entrance  to  the  lake,  in  a cultivated  field  belonging  to  Mr.  S.  H. 
McClintock,  who  lives  on  the  place,  is  a small  mound  3.5  feet  high  with  circular 
base  having  a diameter  of  48  feet. 

Fourteen  trial-holes  brought  no  human  remains  to  view,  though  two  undeco- 
rated vessels  of  inferior  ware,  broken,  were  found  separately  in  the  mound. 

These  vessels  Avere  not  shell-tempered,  though  the  AA'are  shoAvs  small  patches 
on  the  surface,  Avhich,  hoAvever,  are  somcAvliat  darker  than  fragments  of  shell,  and 
are  not  affected  by  acid. 

.Mounds  near  Wasp  Lake,  M'aski.ngton  County. 

About  five  miles  up  Wasp  lake,  on  the  AA’estern  side.  someAAdiat  less  than  a 
mile  aboA'e  JaketoAA  ii,  are  six  mounds  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  land- 
ing and  a number  of  smaller  mounds  some  distance  aAvay. 

Although  it  AA'as  impossible  for  us  to  obtain  permission  to  excavate  these 
mounds,  Ave  sfient  .some  time  in  e.xamining  their  surfaces. 

Taa’o  are  large,  quadrangular  mounds  Avith  summit  plateaus  and  CA'idently 
domiciliary;  one,  a low  Hat  mound;  another  through  Avhich  a road  has  been  cut; 
Avhile  tAVo  are  mounds  from  3 to  5 feet  in  height,  Avhich  liaA'c  been  considerably 
reduced  in  diameter  to  make  Avay  for  a railroad. 

One  of  these  mounds  a[)parently  had  contained  many  burials,  as  fragments  of 
human  bones  Avere  scattered  about  and  a large  part  of  a skeleton  lav  e.xposed. 

Spread  ov'er  the  neighboring  field  Avere  many  fragments  of  shell  and  numerous 
bits  of  eartbeiiAvare,  some  of  the  hitter  shell-tem})ered  and  some  not.  Nearly  all 
Avere  undecorated,  though  some  bore  a beautiful,  bright  red  pigment  on  both  sides. 
The  coloring  matter  on  one  of  these,  tested  by  Dr.  II.  F.  Keller,  [iroA^ed  to  be  red 
oxide  of  iron. 


582  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


At  the  base  of  the  cuttings  of  the  two  mounds  through  which  the  railroad 
passes,  were  (juantities  of  fragments  of  pottery,  some  shell-tempered  and  some  of 
the  same  sort  of  inferior,  porous  ware  we  had  found  farther  down  the  river. 

Mounds  near  Silent  Shade  Landing,  Holmes  County. 

Somewhat  less  tlian  two  miles  in,  along  the  Tchula  road  from  Silent  Shade 
Landing,  in  full  view  from  the  highway,  are  two  mounds  within  a few  feet  of  each 
other. 

Mound  A,  the  northernmore,  on  property  belonging  to  Mr.  Robert  E.  Warlield, 
of  Tchula,  Miss.,  is  5 feet  7 inches  high  and  50  feet  in  diameter. 

An  excavation  was  made  by  us,  IG  feet  by  10  feet,  with  ])erpendicular  walls, 
extending  through  a dark  line  with  light-colored  clay  below.  This  clay,  which  we 
considered  to  be  the  base,  was  somewhat  deeper  than  the  height  of  the  mound 
measured  from  the  outside. 

As  usual,  the  outer  part  of  the  mound  proved  to  be  soft,  the  inner  part  hard 
and  tenacious. 

Considering  this  mound  to  have  been  built  for  burial  purposes  (and  we  do  not 
see  how  the  reverse  can  be  po.ssible),  one  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed  by  the  small 
number  of  interments  in  so  large  a central  portion — only  seven  having  been 
encountered. 

Four  burials  came  from  near  the  surface:  two  bunched  burials;  one  probably 
a bunch ; one  too  badly  decayed  to  determine. 

Nineteen  inches  down  was  a deposit  of  calcined  fragments  of  human  bones, 
22  inches  by  15  inches  by  5 inches  thick.  On  top  of  part  of  this  deposit  was  a 
small,  undecorated  bowl  of  inferior  ware,  in  fragments. 

Two  skeletons  at  full  length  on  the  back,  almost  in  a condition  to  crumble  into 
dust,  lay,  side  by  side,  3 feet  8 inches  down,  the  heads  directed  SW. 

Near  the  skull  of  one  were  two  small,  undecorated  vessels  of  ordinary  shape, 
and  of  inferior,  porous  ware,  both  in  fragments.  With  these  vessels  were  two 
hammer-stones. 

The  second  skeleton  also  had  near  the  skull  a vessel  similar  to  the  others. 

On  the  chest,  in  contact  with  the  chin,  was  an  ornament  of  wood,  rotten 
through  and  through,  which  had  been  coated  with  sheet-copper,  a few  fragments  of 
which  still  adhered.  This  ornament,  circular,  Hat  on  one  side  and  convex  on  the 
other,  had  a diameter  of  2.5  inches,  a thickness  of  .75  of  an  inch. 

Near  the  surface  of  the  mound  were  two  undecorated  pots  of  crude  ware, 
found  in  fragments,  separately,  apart  from  human  remains. 

No  earthenware  from  this  mound  showed  tempering  with  shell. 

Mound  B,  on  property  of  Mr.  S.  S.  Hudson,  of  Adcksburg,  Miss.,  has  a basal 
diameter  of  46  feet.  Its  height  is  4 feet  10  inches. 

An  excavation  with  per[)endicular  walls,  10.5  feet  by  10  feet,  and  5 feet  7 
inches  in  depth,  was  sunk  in  the  central  part  of  the  mound.  No  basal  line  was 


CERTAIN  xMOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  583 


encountered,  though  a hole  of  additional  depth  was  made,  extending  into  seem- 
ingly undisturl)ed  soil.  Ten  inches  below  the  surface  was  a layer  of  bones  so  badly 
decayed  that  the  method  of  burial  was  j)ast  determination. 

With  this  la}'er,  together,  were  a small,  undecorated  howl  in  fragments  and  a 
badly  crushed  vessel  also  without  decoration. 

At  another  part  of  this  layer  of  bones  were  two  other  vessels,  both  badly 
broken.  None  of  these  vessels  was  tempered  with  shell. 

Three  feet  4 inches  from  the  sairface  was  a hadly  decayed  burial  which  evi- 
dently had  been  at  full  length  on  the  back. 

Mounds  ne.\r  Carey  Middleton  Gin  Landing,  Holmes  County. 

About  one-half  mile  ESE.  from  the  landing  at  the  Carey  Middleton  gin,  though 
somewhat  larther  by  the  road  it  is  necessary  to  take  in  the  rainy  season,  on 
property  of  Mr.  Carey  Middleton,  who  lives  on  the  place,  are  two  mounds  in  a 
cultivated  field,  about  three  hundred  yards  apart. 

Mound  A,  G feet  3 inches  in  height,  much  spread  by  cultivation,  has  a diameter 
of  G4  feet. 

A hole  9 feet  by  12  feet  was  carried  squarely  down  through  a dark  line  of  soil 
into  undisturbed  ground  below. 

One  foot  down  was  a bunched  burial  of  badly  decayed  bones. 

Slightly  lower  was  a sknll  indicated  mainly  by  remnants  of  teeth. 

Mound  B,  NE.  by  N.  from  Mound  A,  is  5 feet  10  inches  high  and  has  a present 
diameter  of  GO  feet,  much  of  which  has  been  caused  by  the  cultivation  of  the  mound. 

An  excavation  9 feet  l)y  11  feet,  carried  perpendicularly  down,  was  made  to  a 
depth  of  somewhat  more  than  G feet. 

Eighteen  inches  down  was  a layer  of  fragments  of  calcined  human  bones,  30 
inches  by  24  inches  and  2 inches  thick.  Mixed  with  these  fragments  was  burnt 
clay  Init  no  ashes  or  charcoal,  which  indicated  that  the  cremation  had  been  con- 
ducted elsewhere. 

Three  feet  down  were  human  bones  too  badly  decayed  to  show  the  method  of 
burial. 

The  closely  flexed  skeleton  of  an  adult,  lying  on  the  right  side,  was  3 feet  8 
inches  below  the  surface. 

Not  far  from  the  Carey  Middleton  mounds  is  another  which  our  agent  informs 
us  is  somewhat  larger  than  the  ones  investigated  by  us.  This  mound,  belonging  to 
another  person,  was  not  placed  at  our  disposal. 

Mound  near  Montgomery  Landing,  Holmes  County. 

Our  agent  reported  to  us  a mound  near  Montgomery  Landing,  which  we  did 
not  visit,  not  having  been  able  to  obtain  permission  to  dig. 


584  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Mouxds  near  the  Head  of  Honey  Island,  Holmes  County. 

Near  the  head  of  tlie  Yazoo  river  side  of  Honey  island  is  the  plantation  of 
Mr.  A.  W.  Evans,  Avho  resides  on  the  place.  The  lower  part  of  this  plantation  is 
known  as  Gold-dust.  About  half  a mile  in  a NE.  by  E.  direction  from  the  landing 
at  Gold-dust  are  two  mounds  in  a cultivated  liehl,  in  full  view  of  each  other,  both 
much  spread  by  cultivation. 

One,  largely  of  sand,  has  a height  of  4 feet  4 inches  and  diameters  of  78  feet 
and  64  feet. 

The  other  mound,  partly  of  sand,  2 feet  10  inches  high,  Avith  diameters  of  38 
feet  and  54  feet,  has,  someAvhat  beloAv  the  surface,  a great  deposit  of  musselshells, 
mostly  badly  crushed.  Some  less  broken  than  the  rest  have  kindly  been  deter- 
mined by  Dr.  II.  A.  Pilsbry  as  Quadrula  pyramidata^  0.  plicala^  Lanipsilis  falla- 
ciosuSy  all  shell-fish  still  found  in  tlie  Mississi|)pi  A’alley. 

Mound  near  Sheppardtoavn  Landing,  Leflore  County. 

Two  mounds  near  SheppardtoAvn  Landing,  described  by  our  agent  as  Ausited 
by  him,  Avere  passed  b}'  us  Avithout  a visit,  permission  to  dig  not  having  been 
obtained. 

Mounds  near  Shell  Bluff  Landing,  Leflore  County. 

There  are  a number  of  mounds  near  Shell  Bluff  Landing,  on  properties  belong- 
ing to  Messrs.  W.  G.  Poindexter,  of  SheppardtoAvn,  Miss.,  and  F.  M.  SoutliAvorth, 
residing  on  his  property  at  Phillipston.  Although  both  these  gentlemen  gave  cor- 
dial permission  to  investigate,  Ave  did  not  avail  ourselves  of  their  kindness  as  the 
mounds  Avhich  Avere  inspected  by  us  so  nearly  resembled  others  in  AA'hich  Ave  had 
been  unsuccessful  that  aau  decided  not  to  delay  our  journey. 

Mounds  near  Phillipston  Landing,  Leflore  County. 

Tavo  small  mounds  near  Phillipston  Landing,  on  property  belonging  to  Mr.  F. 
M.  SoutliAvorth,  to  Avhose  plantation  at  Shell  Bluff  Landing  Ave  liaA'e  already 
referred,  Avere  not  investigated  by  us  for  the  same  reason  that  those  at  Shell  Bluff 
Landing  Avere  not  dug  into,  though  Mr.  SoutliAvorth  had  kindly  placed  the  Phillips- 
ton mounds  at  our  disposal. 

Mounds  near  Oakavood,  or  Roebuck,  Landing,  Leflore  County. 

Tavo  mounds  near  OakAvood,  or  Roebuck,  Landing,  belonging  to  Mr.  Herman 
Aron,  of  Noav  Orleans,  La.,  Avere  not  \dsited  by  us  OAving  to  the  unsatisfactory 
return  from  mounds  in  this  region,  though  Mr.  Aron  had  Avillingly  given  his  consent 
to  our  Avork. 

Mound  near  Mouth  of  Yalobusha  Ria'er,  Leflore  County. 

On  property  of  Mr.  S.  J.  Stein,  of  Greemvood,  Miss.,  at  the  roadside,  about 
one  quarter  mile  NNE.  from  the  landing,  at  the  union  of  the  Yalobusha,  an 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  585 


unnavigable  stream,  and  the  Yazoo  river,  is  a mound  almost  circular  iu  basal  out- 
line, with  a diameter  of  4G  feet.  The  height  of  the  mound  is  3.5  feet.  A central 
excavation  10.5  feet  by  8.5  feet  l)V  4 feet  deep  yielded  neither  bone  nor  artifact. 

Mou.xi)  XKAH  Ashwooi)  Landing,  Leflore  Counta'. 

In  a cultivated  lield,  a short  distance  from  Ashwood  Landing,  on  property 
belonging  to  Mr.  W.  C.  George,  of  (Jreenwood,  Miss.,  is  part  of  a mound,  the 
remainder  having  disappeared  through  cultivation  and  through  wash  of  rain. 
Although  Mr.  George  had  consented  to  investigation  of  the  mound,  we  decided  the 
work  would  be  inex[)edient. 

Moi  xDs  NEAR  Star  We.st  Landing,  Leflore  Counta'. 

Two  small  mounds,  said  by  onr  agent  to  be  about  1.5  miles  from  Star  W’^est 
Landing,  were  not  dug  into,  although  their  owner,  Mr.  F.  M.  Aldridge,  of  Green- 
wood, Miss.,  had  courteously  authorized  the  investigation. 

Mounds  on  the  Lucas  Pi.antation,  Leflore  Gountal 

On  the  plantation  of  Dr.  J.  II.  Lucas,  of  Greenwood,  Miss.,  about  5 miles 
above  Greenwood,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  all  in  sight  from  the  liank,  are 
three  mounds. 

The  northernmost  is  a remnant  immediately  on  the  liank. 

The  next,  in  a cultivated  field,  has  a small  modern  cemetery  upon  it. 

The  third,  in  the  same  lield,  much  spread  liy  plowing,  is  C feet  4 inches  in 
height,  and  82  feet  aiu'oss  its  circular  base.  Fourteen  trial-holes  were  sunk  without 
result. 


Mound  at  Racetrack  Landing,  Leflore  ('ounta'. 

In  sight  from  Racetrack  Landing,  on  property  of  Mr.  S.  F.  Jones,  resident  on 
the  place,  is  a mound  with  irregularly  circular  base,  107  feet  in  diameter,  and  20 
feet  across  the  circular  summit  ])lateau. 

The  mound,  though  furrowed  by  rain  and  somewhat  cut  by  cultivation  at  the 
base,  is  still  symmetrical,  and  being  24  feet  in  height,  presents  an  imposing 
appearance. 

Three  trial-holes  in  the  summit  plateau,  each  5 feet  in  depth,  were  without 
result. 

On  our  way  up  the  river  our  hopes  had  been  buoyed  by  reports  which  our 
agent  had  heard  of  a carved  vessel  of  stone,  with  a top  of  like  material,  which,  it 
was  saiil,  had  been  taken  from  the  mound  at  this  place. 

Our  agent  had  visited  the  mound  in  the  absence  of  the  owner,  and  hence  had 
been  unable  to  investigate  the  report. 

The  rumor  turned  ont  to  be  without  any  basis  whatsoever,  nothing,  we  were 
assured  by  Mr.  Jones,  having  been  taken  from  the  mound. 

71  JOURX.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


586  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


At  this  point  on  the  Yazoo  river,  there  being  no  report  from  mounds  farther 
up  to  justify  hope  of  greater  success  in  returns,  the  investigation  of  tlie  river  banks 
and  the  adjacent  territory  was  abandoned  by  us,  although,  as  we  have  said,  abund- 
ant work  had  been  mapped  out  by  our  agent  as  far  as  Sharkey,  about  70  miles 
above  by  water. 

MOUNDS  AND  SITES  INVESTIGATED  ON  THE  SUNFLOWER  RIVER. 

Mound  near  Anderson  Landing,  Sharkey  County. 

Mound  near  Bachelor  Retreat  Landing,  Sharkey  County. 

Mounds  near  Wrong-end-up  Landing,  Yazoo  County  (3). 

Mounds  at  Spanish  Fort  Landing,  Sharkey  County  (3). 

Mound  at  Fairview  Landing,  Yazoo  Count v. 

Mound  on  f'airview  Plantation,  Yazoo  County. 

Mounds  at  Stalonia  Landing,  Sharkey  County  (3). 

Mounds  near  George  Lake,  Yazoo  County  (a  large  group). 

Mound  np:ar  Anderson  Landing,  Sharkey  County. 

In  woods  about  one-quarter  mile  E.  by  S.  from  Anderson  Landing,  on  property 
probably  belonging  to  Messrs.  George  T.  Houston  & Co.,  of  Chicago,  111.,  to  whom 
the  Academy  is  especially  indebted  for  tlie  fullest  and  most  cordial  permission  to 
excavate  all  mounds  on  the  great  territory  owned  by  them,  on  the  SunHower  river, 
and  for  kind  otters  to  facilitate  its  work  in  every  possible  way,  is  a mound  6 feet 
7 inches  in  height  and  62  feet  across  its  circular  base. 

This  mound,  which  gave  evidence  of  former,  but  apparently  somewhat  super- 
ficial, investigation,  was  dug  out  by  us  in  the  central  part,  the  excavation  being  7 
feet  6 inches,  by  12  feet,  by  7 feet  4 inches  deep,  the  sides  of  the  hole  being 
carried  squarely  down. 

Near  the  surface  were  disturbed  human  bones  with  which  were  frainnents  of  a 
vessel  of  yellow  ware  without  shell-tempering.  This  vessel  (No.  1),  whose  parts 
have  been  put  together,  has  a quadrilateral  body  with  rounded  corners,  on  which 
is  a decoration  partly  punctate  and  partly  produced  by  the  trailing  of  a broad- 
pointed  implement.  Below  the  iq)per  margin  of  the  vessel  is  a circular  band  of 
evenly  made,  reticulated  lines,  and  an  encircling  line  of  imprints,  made  with  the  end 
of  a blunt  tool  (Fig.  3). 

About  3 feet  9 inches  from  the  surface  was  a small,  undecorated  bowd  of  dark 
ware  (Vessel  No.  2),  in  fragments,  w’ith  mere  traces  of  a skull  and  teeth  nearby. 

Six  feet  9 inches  down,  ])resumably  on  the  base  of  the  mound,  near  what  were 
probably  traces  of  human  bones,  was  Vessel  No.  3,  in  fragments  (Fig.  4).  The 
yellow  ware  is  without  shell-tempering.  Below  the  rim  is  a rude,  cross-hatch  deco- 
ration, while  the  body  of  the  vessel  has  a primitive,  trailed  design,  three  times 
represented,  showing  a serpent  (Fig.  5). 

While  we  were  engaged  on  other  and  more-  su])erficial  work  in  the  mound,  an 
undecorated  vessel  in  small  frasrinents  was  encountered. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  587 


Fio.  3. — Vessel  Xo.  1.  Anderson  Landing.  (Height  3.25  inches.) 


Fio.  4. — Vessel  So.  3.  Anderson  Landing.  (Height  3.9  inches.) 


588  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Mound  at  Pecan  Grove,  Sharkey  County. 

Tills  mound,  which  was  kindly  placed  at  our  disposal  by  Mr.  T.  H.  Camjibell, 
Jr.,  of  Yazoo  City,  was  not  dug  into  by  us  owing  to  the  presence  of  a building 
on  it. 


Mound  near  Bachelor  IIp:treat  Landing,  Sharkey  County. 

By  the  roadside,  in  sight  from  Bachelor  Retreat  Landing,  on  property  of  Mr. 
John  Ross,  who  lives  at  the  landing,  is  a mound  much  worn  by  cattle  and  washed 
by  rain  and  by  the  river  in  times  of  overtlow.  The  jiresent  diameter  of  the  circular 
base  of  the  mound  is  60  feet ; its  height  is  3 feet  7 inches. 

Fourteen  trial-holes  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  decaying  human  bones  just 
below  the  surface,  and  of  what  appeared  to  indicate  a bunched  burial,  2 feet  8 
inches  down. 


Fig.  5.— Vessel  No.  3.  Decoration.  (Half  size.) 


Mounds  near  Wrong-End-Up  Landing,  Yazoo  County. 

In  woods  about  three-quarters  of  a mile  in  an  easterly  direction  from  Wrong- 
end-up  Landing,  on  property  of  Mrs.  J.  E.  Edwards,  whose  address  we  were  unable 
to  learn,  is  a mound  wdth  circular  base  and  summit  plateau,  whose  diameters  are, 
respectively,  72  feet  and  28  feet.  Its  height  is  7 feet  9 inches. 

Nine  holes  were  dug  into  the  summit  plateau  and  into  the  sides  of  the  mound, 
four  being  ordinary  trial-holes,  and  five  considerably  larger. 

Nearly  4 feet  down  were  remains  of  a badly  decayed  skeleton. 

In  another  hole,  3 feet  from  the  surface,  Avere  a number  of  bones  crushed 
together,  greatly  decayed,  including  three  skulls  indicated  by  nunains  of  teeth. 

Two  other  mounds  about  one-quarter  mile  in  a northwesterly  direction  from 
the  one  just  described,  served  as  foundations  for  pens  for  domestic  animals  in  flood- 
time and  were  not  dug  into  by  us. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  589 


Mounds  at  Spanish  I"okt  Landing,  Sharkey  Colunty. 

Visible  from  Spanish  Fort  Landing  are  three  mounds,  upon  one  of  Avhich  is  a 
house;  upon  another,  a cotton-gin. 

A few  yards  1‘rom  the  gin,  in  a cultivated  field,  on  property  of  Mrs.  L.  A. 
Kettleman,  living  nearby,  is  a circular  ri.se  of  the  ground,  evidently  a dwelling-site 
as  its  surface  is  thickly  strewn  with  hits  of  pottery  and  fragments  of  musselshells. 
Considerable  digging  in  this  place  was  without  return. 

The  field  in  which  this  dwelling-site  is,  having  an  area  of  forty-live  acres,  it  is 
said,  is  enclosed,  except  that  part  which  faces  the  river,  by  a semi-circular  embank- 
ment resembling  a levee.  It  is  from  this  embankment,  which  we  believe  to  he 
aboriginal,  like  similar  enclosures  in  this  region,  that  the  landing  takes  its  name. 

Mounds  .\t  Fairview'  Landing,  Yazoo  C'ounty. 

In  sight  from  Fairview  Landing,  on  property  of  Mr.  William  0.  Childers,  of 
Satartia,  Miss.,  in  a cultivated  field,  are  three  mounds  in  line,  hut  short  distances 
apart. 

The  largest,  much  spread,  had  been  considerably  dug  into  previous  to  our  visit, 
and  the  smallest  mound  is  in  use  as  a cemetery.  Neither  of  these  mounds  was 
dug  into  by  us. 

The  third  mound,  lying  between  the  other  two,  is  conical  and  fairly  symmet- 
rical. Its  height  is  11  feet  6 inches;  its  basal  diameter,  75  feet.  A moderate 
amount  of  digging  in  this  mound  showed  that  it,  too,  had  been  used  as  a cemetery 
in  recent  times. 

Near  Fairview  Landing  is  a mound  belonging  to  Mr.  S.  S.  Hearn,  of  Wrong- 
end-up  Landing,  which  we  did  not  investigate  owing  to  the  presence  of  a house 
upon  it. 

Mound  on  Fairview  Plantation,  Yazoo  County. 

In  sight  from  an  arm  of  the  river  that  here  encircles  a small  island,  at  the 
upper  end  of  Fairview  plantation,  partly  cut  away  by  the  road,  is  a small  mound 
also  belonging  to  Mr.  S.  S.  Hearn.  The  height  of  this  mound  is  3 feet;  its 
diameter,  35  feet.  Our  investigation  was  unrewarded. 

Mounds  near  ^Maybon  Landing,  Yazoo  County. 

Two  mounds  reported  by  our  agent  as  near  Maybon  Landing  were  not  visited 
by  us,  permission  to  dig  not  being  forthcoming. 


Mounds  at  Stalonia  Landing,  Sharkey  County. 

On  property  of  Mrs.  N.  J.  Guess,  living  nearby,  at  Stalonia  Landing,  are  three 
mounds,  one  of  which,  much  cut  away  l)y  a railroad,  shows  no  bones  or  artifacts 
along  the  section. 

The  other  two  mounds  are  in  a cultivated  field  just  beyond  the  landing. 


590  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


One  of  these,  almost  plowed  away,  was  dug  into  l)y  us  without  success. 

The  third  mound,  well  preserved,  evidently  domiciliary,  has  a height  of  9 feet. 
Its  basal  length  NNE.  and  SSAV.  is  128  feet;  and  103  feet  SE.  by  FI.  and  NW.  by 
W.  The  diameters  of  the  summit  plateau  in  the  same  directions,  respectively,  are 
64  feet  and  43  feet. 

Considerable  digging  in  this  mound  yielded  only  a small,  flat  mass  of  limestone, 
pitted  on  one  side. 

Mounds  at  the  Mouth  of  (Jeokge  Lake,  Yazoo  County. 

Two  small  mounds  at  the  mouth  of  Ceorge  lake,  southern  side,  were  visited 
by  us  but  were  not  investigated,  though  permission  had  been  given  by  Mrs.  C.  E. 
Crippen,  their  owner,  who  lives  nearby. 

Mounds  near  George  Lake,  Yazoo  County. 

About  one-half  mile  above  the  union  of  George  lake  ^ with  the  Sunflower 
river,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  lake,  on  the  plantation  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Henry,  of 
Yazoo  (hty.  Miss.,  to  whom  the  Academy  is  especially  indebted  for  full  permission 
to  investigate,  is  a notable  group  of  mounds.' 

These  mounds,  rising  here  and  there  around  a great  central  tumulus,  stud  an 
area  of  about  forty-four  acres,  as  determined  by  a recent  survey,  we  are  informed. 

Here  and  there  pools  of  water  mark  e.xcavations  whence  material  for  the 
mounds  was  taken. 

The  mounds  are  enclosed,  except  on  the  lake-front,  by  an  aboriginal  embank- 
ment, probably  from  4 to  6 feet  in  height,  and  no  doubt  of  greater  altitude  in 
early  times.  Possibly  it  was  then  surmounted  by  a stockade. 

The  number  of  mounds  that  surround  the  great  central  one  in  a rather  irregu- 
lar way  would  be  hard  to  determine  with  exactness,  inasmuch  as  but  two  of  the 
entire  group  have  not  been  subjected  to  cultivation  over  the  entire  surface,  and 
some,  probably  never  of  great  size,  are  now  hardly  distinguishable.  Presumably 
more  than  thirty  rises  of  the  ground  and  mounds  small  and  great  could  be  counted 
within  the  enclosure. 

Of  all  these  mounds,  however,  but  three  retain  any  resemblance  to  their 
former  shape,  supposing  them  to  have  been  other  than  mere  conical  elevations;  and 
one  of  these  three  (now  with  a well-marked  summit  plateau),  cultivated  over  its 
entire  surface,  its  soft  material  exposed  to  wash  of  heavy  rains,  will  soon  be  in  the 
condition  of  most  of  its  companions. 

The  most  symmetrical  mounds  and  the  only  ones  (except  the  one  we  have 
noted  as  in  process  of  destruction)  that  are  not  of  moderate  height,  are  the  great 
central  monnd  and  another  about  80  yards  in  a southwesterly  direction  from  it. 

The  great  central  mound  (whose  sides  almost  exactly  face  the  cardinal  points), 

‘The  reader  will  recall  that  a “lake”  in  this  region,  is  where  the  river  formerly  flowed  hnt  has 
been  diverted  from  its  course. 

’ This  land,  being  somewhat  elevated,  is  usually  beyond  reach  of  the  river,  though  it  is  covered  in 
times  of  verj  high  water,  as  was  the  ca.se  in  the  great  overflow  of  1882,  when  the  inhabitants  and  their 
stock,  from  a considerable  distance  around  found  these  mounds  a welcome  place  of  refuge. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  591 


with  remnants  of  causeways  on  the  E.  and  N.,  is  now  almost  devoid  of  vegeta- 
tion ; and  trampled  by  animals  and  with  the  soil  of  the  summit  plateau  loosened 
by  cultivation  and  offering  full  sco}>e  to  wash  of  rains,  which  have  eaten  narrow 
channels  * into  the  sides  of  the  mound,  has  lost  much  of  the  symmetiy  it  possessed 
until  recently,  and  soon,  we  fear,  will  be  still  farther  ini])aired. 

The  height  of  this  mound  is  55  feet,  as  taken  by  us  from  near  the  base.  We 
were  informed,  however,  that  a surveyor,  standing  at  some  distance  from  the 
mound,  had  determined  its  height  to  be  more  than  GO  feet. 

It  seemed  to  us,  however,  that  the  standpoint  of  the  surveyor,  as  pointed  out 
to  us,  w'as  somewhat  below  the  general  level,  a pool  of  water  being  there  at  the 
time  of  our  visit.  Perhaps  a fair  judgment  of  the  height  of  the  mound  would  be 
midway  between  the  figures  given  by  the  surveyor  and  our  own,  as  possibly  we 
stood  somewhat  on  the  slope  when  our  determination  was  made. 

The  western  part  of  the  summit  plateau,  57  feet  in  length,  is  about  9 feet 
lower  than  the  eastern  42  feet — the  total  diameter  of  the  plateau  E.  and  W.  being 
99  feet.  In  a N.  and  S.  direction  the  diameter  is  93  feet. 

The  basal  diameters  of  the  mound  are  263  feet  E.  and  W.,  and  275  feet  N.  and 
S.  Doubtless  the  mound,  at  one  time,  was  practically  square  in  horizontal  section. 

The  mound  to  which  we  have  referred  as  southwesterly  from  the  great  mound 
is  a truncated  cone  22  feet  in  height,  about  173  feet  in  diameter  of  base  and  86 
feet  across  its  summit  plateau.  Tbe  remains  of  a causeway  are  apparent  on  the 
northern  side. 

Strewn  over  the  enclosed  area,  among  the  moutids  and  on  them,  in  some  places 
in  great  abundance,  are  cbert  })ebbles ; fragments  of  chert;  bits  of  musselshell ; 
and  small  parts  of  earthenware  vessels. 

The  ware,  as  a rule  undecorated,  is  shell-tempered  in  most  instances  but  some- 
times has  a tempering  of  small  fragments  of  stone  which  does  not  react  to  acid, 
such  as  is  often  found  in  the  ware  of  the  Yazoo-Sun flower  region. 

The  decoration,  when  present,  so  far  as  noted  by  ns,  offers  no  original  feature. 
Mr.  J.  B.  Martin,  manager  of  the  plantation,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  much 
information  as  to  the  place,  showed  us  a small  water-bottle  of  excellent,  yellow, 
shell-tempered  ware,  with  a graceful  decoration  consisting  of  a current  scroll  and 
small  circle,  four  times  repeated,  boldly  executed  with  a broad,  trailing-point. 
This  vessel,  Mr.  Martin  said,  had  been  found  in  digging  a post-hole  on  the  property. 

There  were  found  on  the  surface  by  members  of  our  party,  several  small, 
delicately-shaped  arrowheads  of  chert;  part  of  a diminutive  chisel  apparently  of 
silicified  wood;  a ball  of  chert,  from  2.75  inches  to  3.5  inches  in  diameter.  This 
ball,  which  has  depressions  on  two  opposite  sides  as  for  fingers,  perhaps  served  as  a 
hammer-stone.  We  read,  howev^er,  in  the  Narrative  of  d’Iberville®  of  ‘‘a  round 
stone  ball  which  they  strike  with  sticks”  for  amusement. 

I One  at  least  reaching  a depth  of  5 feet. 

“ French,  Hist.  Coll.  La.  and  Fla.,  1875,  p.  74. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


We  Jo«rad  on  the  sirfw  of  « Ion-  mo«md.  a pip?  of  o»nb«iwju^.  probablv 
a wc4f  vc  a Fsi.  Tne  w;4re  15  5bell-ttmp^K^ : the  modeliiig. 
wiihont  &rd5i^  Bent. 

TEin««  triii-b-ie^  5r™k  mso  the  B«;<LX>d  00  which  this  pij»  lav  were  withcmt 
leward- 

We  did  l«t  a s.^Ierate  aBonat  of  on  and  amon£  the  moaods  i>ear 

Gectf*^  lake,  fioirar  two  bonals  Ijinr  near  the  sar£»ee,  which  had  undergone 
^sttirbaoce. 

There  was  little  indacemeni  to  dir.  as  sajerfcial  borialsw  had  there  ever  been 


washed  awav.  and  the  same  coadhicns.  no  donbe  lar^lj  existed  in  the  level 
^vmd- 


Snch  cc^T  Bwnds  as  were  investirated  vieiied  n^jching. 

Anc«^»er  feccqragkg  ieatare  wa=  the  ahzio^  entire  abeenee  of  histoink  of  the 
feeofTTw  of  h»e«  or  of  ardfrcis  on  the  plantation-  despite  deep  and  constant 
caltrrazim  and  wash  «£  rain,  ihro^^  which  the  level  ^lond  in  places,  as  well  as 
the  mcKinds.  is  deeply  farr:Bed- 

Ai  lake  onr  jonmey  sp  the  Scmdower  rfver  was  afanadoned.  althonrh. 

as  we  have  said,  the  streaK  had  >«een  leconnoeteTed  by  oar  arents  as  far  as  Faisonia. 
7j»  aiSes  abiwe.  W water. 


Fat  t — 'Fmyr  rf 


PART  III 


The  Blum  Mounds,  Mississippi 

BY 


CLARENCE  B.  MOORE. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


By  Clahkxce  B.  Moore. 


PART  III. 

The  Bi.um  Mounds,  Messisshti. 

The  Bliini  group  of  mounds,  in  AVasliington  county.  Miss,  (see  nni])),  is  about 
four  miles  in  a straight  line,  in  a northerly  direction  from  the  city  of  Greenville  ; 


about  one  mile  in  a southerly  direction  from  ^Vinterville  station;  and  two  miles 
NNE.  from  the  Mississippi  river  at  its  nearest  approach. 

The  group  on  a plantation  behmging  to  A.  Blum,  Esf[.,  of  Greenville.  Miss., 
and  of  New  Orleans,  La.,  to  whom  the  warm  thanks*  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 

' Tlie  Aciidemy  wishes  also  to  e.xpress  its  indebtedness  to  Messrs.  J.  B.  Williani.s,  Esq.,  of  Green- 
ville, the  lessee  of  the  property,  and  J.  II.  McKnight,  E-:(j.,  of  Winterville,  the  snj)erintendent. 


BLUM  MOUNDS 

NEAR  WINTERVILLE.WASHINGTON  COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI 

Scale  in  feet 

0 <50  100  200 

I 9 07 


. . ‘-VM';. 

,-V  [oin/ 


596  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


Sciences  are  tendered  for  full  and  cordial  permission  to  investigate,  consists  of  a 
great  central  mound,  55  feet  high,  surrounded  by  fourteen  other  mounds  forming 
an  irregular  ellipse.  One  of  these  mounds  is  so  nearly  obliterated,  however,  that 
it  might  well  be  passed  over  in  an  enumeration. 

The  diameters  of  this  elli{)se  are  about  1600  feet  NE.  and  SW.,  and  1000  feet 
NW.  and  SE. 

The  central  mound,  marked  A,  and  the  other  mounds  marked  B to  0,  inclu- 
sive, are  shown  in  the  accompanying  plat  of  a survey*  made  by  Dr.  M.  G.  Miller, 
at  the  time  of  our  visit. 

Certain  small  elevations  outside  and  inside  the  ellipse,  probably  dwelling-sites, 
have  been  disregarded  in  the  plan. 

The  Blum  mounds,  uninvestigated  previous  to  our  visit,  though  a few  holes 
had  been  dug  into  them  (by  treasure-seekers,  it  is  said),  are  not  mentioned  in  the 
‘‘Mound  Reports”  of  the  “Twelfth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American 
Ethnology.” 

They  are  not  the  “Avondale  Mounds”  referred  to  in  the  “Twelfth  Annual 
Report”  and  in  Thomas’  “ Catalogue  of  Prehistoric  Works,”  but  are  umpiestionably 
the  group  described  in  the  latter  work  as  being  “ nearly  opposite  Point  Chicot,” 
which  grou})  is  more  fully  described  in  the  Smithsonian  Rej)ort  for  1879,  page  383 
et  sec].^  though  the  plan  accompanying  the  description  gives  but  little  idea  of  the 
mounds  as  they  appear  at  present. 

These  mounds  on  the  river  plain  and,  consequently,  on  land  subject  to  over- 
flow, are  not,  however,  exposed  to  wash  of  water  in  time  of  flood,  it  is  said,  the 
distance  from  the  river  being  such  that  the  current  has  no  influence,  and  the  water 
comsequently  is  still. 

The  summits  of  the  more  important  mounds  of  the  group,  so  far  as  known, 
have  never  been  submerged,  the  usual  rise  of  water  about  the  mounds  when  there 
is  a flood  being,  we  are  told,  from  3 to  5 feet. 

Nevertheless,  a number  of  the  mounds  (E,  F,  G,  II,  I,  K,  E,  M,  N,  0)  have 
no  regularity  of  outline,  a fact  due,  we  believe,  to  long-continued  cultivation,  though 
some  of  the  mounds  enumerated  have  not  been  plowed  over  in  comparatively  recent 
times. 

Even  the  regularity  of  most  of  the  larger  mounds,  the  sides  of  which  are  too 
steep  for  cultivation,  is  considerably  impaired,  owing,  probably,  to  wash  of  rain  ; to 
the  constant  tread  of  mules,  sheep,  goats,  and  liogs,  which  frequent  the  mounds  in 
numbers;  to  the  deep  and  extensive  rooting  of  hogs;  and  to  the  general  wear  and 
tear  of  time,  which  is  ever  more  destructive  in  the  case  of  mounds  like  the  Blum 
mounds  which  are  but  little  protected  by  the  roots  of  trees  and  shrubbery. 

It  might  be  suggested  that  in  earlier  times,  before  the  erection  of  the  levee, 
different  conditions  tending  to  make  stronger  the  erosive  force  of  the  water,  may 

' Thougli  tlie  e.xpedition  was  amply  provided  with  photographic  apparatus,  no  pliotographs  of  the 
mounds  were  made.  E.vperieuce  has  shown  that  tlie  work  of  the  camera  in  connection  witli  mounds  is 
misleading,  undue  prominence  to  the  foreground  being  given  and  inadequate  portrayal  of  the  heights. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  597 


have  existed,  or  that  the  mounds  may  have  been  much  nearer  the  river  (wliich,  as 
all  know,  is  ever  changing  its  course)  and  were  exposed  in  flood  time  to  a deeper 
and  fiercer  current  than  is  the  case  at  present. 

The  answer  to  this  would  be  that  Mound  J (which  is  protected  by  bushes  and 
shrubbery,  and  does  not  seem  to  be  frequented  by  stock)  is  almost  intact,  and  that 
this  mound  has  suffered  only  to  the  extent  of  a partial  leveling  of  its  causeway, 
evidently  through  cultivation. 

A current  that  would  wash  away  any  of  the  mounds,  presumably  would  eat 
into  all  of  them. 

The  height  of  a mound  often  depends  on  the  side  from  which  the  measurement 
is  made.  The  subjoined  list  gives  the  altitudes  of  the  Blum  mounds,  as  taken 
from  within  the  enclosure. 

Mound  A — 55  feet. 

Mound  B — 13  feet  2 inches. 

Mound  C — 19  feet  G inches. 

Mound  D — 17  feet  0 inches. 

Mound  E — G feet  7 inches. 

Mound  F — 9 feet  7 inches. 

Mound  G — 4 feet. 

Mound  H — 7 feet  7 inches. 

Mound  I — 9 feet. 

Mound  J — 30  feet  10  inches. 

Mound  K — 12  feet  5 inches. 

Moimd  L — 7 feet  G inches. 

Mound  M — 7 feet  3 inches. 

Mound  N — 8 feet. 

Mound  0 — 10  feet  10  inches. 

The  Blum  mounds  and  surrounding  territory  have  comparatively  no  history  as 
to  the  discovery  of  artifacts  or  of  human  remains.  No  human  bones  were  seen 
by  us  on  the  surface,  though  extensive  ditching  had  been  done,  and  much  of  the 
lev^el  ground  and  a number  of  the  mounds  are  regularly  plowed  over;  and  only  a 
limited  number  of  fragments  of  earthenware  lay  around — all  this  lack  of  signs  of 
former  occupancy  being  in  marked  contrast  with  our  experience  at  the  great  group 
of  mounds  at  Moundville,  Ala. 

Six  days  in  November  and  December,  1907,  were  devoted  by  us  to  the  Blum 
mounds,  with  five  of  our  trained  men  to  dig,  it  beiiig  impossible  to  engage  additional 
help  at  the  mounds  owing  to  scarcity  of  men  on  account  of  the  needs  of  the  cotton- 
crop.  However,  as  it  turned  out,  a greater  force  was  not  urgently  called  for. 

A very  long  e.xperience  in  mound-work  in  southern  United  States  has  led  us 
to  believe  that  domiciliary  mounds  and  mounds  built  as  places  of  worship  (which 
classes  of  mounds  are  of  considerable  size  and  usually  are  rectangular  in  outline 
with  summit  plateaus)  seldom  contain  burials.  We  know,  however,  there  are 
noteworthy  exceptions  to  this  rule,  some  of  which  we  have  enumerated  at  length 


598  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MlSSISSim. 


in  the  account  of  onr  first  visit  to  Moiindville/  and  that  summit  plateaus  or  parts 
of  them  sometimes  were  used  for  burial  purposes. 

We  commenced,  then,  to  investigate  the  Blum  group  of  mounds  in  the  same 
manner  as  we  did  the  mounds  and  cemeteries  of  Mouudville,  namely,  by  sinking 
trial-holes  in  the  summit  plateaus  of  the  mounds,  and  in  the  level  ground 
where  appearances  indicated  the  possible  presence  of  a cemetery,  with  the 
intention,  should  burials  be  discovered,  of  prosecuting  the  search  in  a more 
tliorongh  way. 

The  trial-holes  in  the  Blum  mounds  were  intended  to  be  6 feet  long  by  3 feet 
wide  and  4 feet  deep,  but  as  the  material  of  which  the  mounds  were  made  was.  as 
a rule,  a tenacious,  alluvial  deposit,  dried  comparatively  hard  and  in  places  still 
farther  hardened  by  fire,  necessitating  the  use  of  picks  and  grubbing-hoes,  the 
dimensions  given  were  not  always  adhered  to  exactly.  Sometimes,  but  not  often, 
the  holes  exceeded  the  standard  size. 

In  the  level  ground  the  trial-holes  were  6 feet  by  3 feet  and  were  usually  4 
feet  deep,  but  sometimes  when  ground  unmistakably  undisturbed  was  reached,  the 
holes  were  not  carried  to  a full  depth  of  4 feet. 

We  shall  now  state  the  extent  of  the  tentative  work  carried  on  by  ns  in  con- 
nection with  the  Blum  mounds,  giving  the  area  of  each  summit  plateau  where  such 
was  present. 

Mound  A,  summit  plateau  100  feet  by  132  feet,  approximately,  was  accorded 
twelve  trial-holes  on  the  summit  plateau  and  five  at  its  northern  corner. 

Mound  B,  with  a summit  plateau  44  feet  by  60  feet,  had  on  it  a number  of 
burials  made  in  recent  times,  which  were  not  disturbed  by  us.  But  five  trial-holes 
were  put  down  in  this  mound. 

Mound  C,  with  a summit  plateau  of  irregular  outline,  90  feet  by  136  feet, 
received  five  trial-holes. 

Mound  D,  with  an  irregular,  oblong  })lateau  about  60  feet  by  112  feet,  was 
fairly  well  covered  by  the  seven  trial-holes  allotted  to  it.  In  one  hole,  just  below 
the  surface,  was  an  isolated  skull  badlv  decaved.  In  another  were  fragments  of  a 
skull. 

Mound  p],  part  of  which  had  been  cut  away  in  the  making  of  a road,  received 
one  trial-hole  in  addition  to  a close  examination  of  the  section  laid  bare. 

.Mound  P',  four  trial-holes.  A small  oblate-spheroidal  vessel  of  coarse  ware 
was  found  near  the  surface. 

Mound  (i,  five  trial-holes.  Eying  near  together  in  this  mound  were  nine 
double-pointed  fish-scales  which  Mr.  11.  W.  Prowler,  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences,  has  identified  as  probably  belonging  to  the  alligator-gar  {Lcpisos/cns  tri- 
stwchiis),  a fish  abundant  in  the  lower  Mississipj)!  river. 

The  scales  of  this  fish,  which  Du  Pratz'  calls  poisson-aniir,  are  said  by  him 

' “Certain  .\boriginaI  Moiimls  of  the  Black  Warrior  River,”  Joiirn.  .Vead.  Xat.  Sci.,  Vol.  XIII 
p.  241  et  seq. 

^ Ilistoire  de  la  Lonisiaiie,  Vol.  II,  p.  168,  I*ari.«,  17.58. 


CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI.  599 


sonietiines  to  have  served  as  points  for  the  arrows  of  aborigines  of  the  lower  Mis- 
sissippi region.  Certain  it  is  that  the  ganoid  scales  of  the  alligator-gar,  a fish 
which  sonietiines  reaches  a length  of  from  8 to  10  feet,  would  be  admirably  suited 
for  use  as  projectile  jioints. 

M (Hind  11,  live  trial-holes. 

Mound  I,  Avhich  had  been  innch  dug  into  previoush',  received  four  trial-holes. 

Mound  J,  summit  plateau  76  feet  by  80  feet.  Nine  trial-holes  Avere  sunk  into 
the  summit  plateau  of  this  mound,  resulting  in  the  discovery  of  a badly  decayed 
skeleton  of  an  adult,  at  full  length  on  the  hack,  2.5  feet  beloAV  the  surface. 

Ten  trial-holes  Avere  })ut  into  Mound  K.  A number  of  lish-scales  Avere  found, 
[irobahly  belonging  to  a young  alligator-gar.  These  scales  Avere  too  small  to  have 
served  as  arroAvpoints,  and,  moreover,  they  lay  one  overlapiiing  the  other  as  if  a 
[lortion  of  the  fish  had  been  present  originally. 

Just  beloAV  the  surface  of  Mound  K Avere  three  small,  coarse,  undecorated  pots 
of  eartheiiAvare,  all  Avith  Hat  bottoms.  Near  these,  together,  Avere  tAvo  small  pots, 
one  Avith  two  loop-handles,  the  other  Avith  loop-handles  on  tAvo  opposite  sides  and 
projections  below  the  rim  on  tAvo  other  sides. 

AVith  these  pots  Avas  a small  fragment  of  e.xcellent  yelloAv  Avare,  having  part 
of  a design  in  Ioav  relief,  painted  red. 

Ten  trial-holes  Avere  dug  into  Mound  L.  A much-decayed  skeleton  of  an  inlant 
Avas  met  Avith  about  2 feet  beloAv  the  surface. 

Mound  M,  fiA'e  trial-holes. 

Mound  N,  ten  trial-holes. 

Mound  0,  nine  trial-holes. 

In  the  level  <rround  five  trial-holes  Avere  dug  at  each  of  the  folloAving  sites: 

Ridge  ESE.  of  mound  J. 

(1  round  adjacent  to  the  SW.  corner  of  Mound  C. 

Dwelling-site  about  40  feet  NNE.  ol‘  Mound  D. 

Dwelling-site  about  100  feet  from  \V.  side  of  Mound  J. 

Field  Mb  of  Mound  J. 

Field  E.  of  Mound  J. 

(Iround  NE.  of  Mound  N. 

Field  W.  of  Mound  O. 

Dwelling-site  NE.  of  Mound  C (across  the  road). 

Throughout  the  digging,  sherds  Avere  rarely  met  Avith.  Such  as  Avere  found 
in  the  trial-holes,  and  those  encountered  on  the  surface,  Avere  mainly  of  com- 
mon Avare,  though  a fcAV,  including  one  Ave  haAm  already  described,  Avere  of 
excellent  material — one  fragment  of  black  Avare  having  an  especially  high  polish 
on  both  sides. 

Decoration,  aa  hen  present,  almost  invariably  consisted  of  simple  designs  rudely 
incised.  Decoration  Avith  red  paint  Avas  several  times  found.  Tavo  specimens 
tested  by  Dr.  II.  F.  Keller  shoAved  the  pigment  to  be  red  oxide  of  iron. 

On  the  surface  Avere  a small  chisel  Avrought  from  a pebble  of  chert,  and  a disc 


600  CERTAIN  MOUNDS  OF  ARKANSAS  AND  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 


of  pottery  which  had  been  given  its  form  before  baking  and  had  not  been  cut  from 
a fragment  of  an  earthenware  vessel. 

From  the  trial-holes  came  musselshells  which  have  been  identified  by  Dr.  H. 
A.  Pilsbry  as  Qiiadrula  pcrplicata  ; Q.  keros;  Lampsilis  anodotitoides. 

We  are  at  a loss  to  account  for  our  limited  success  in  finding  burials  and  arti- 
facts in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Blum  mounds.  AVe  know  that  domiciliary  mounds, 
such  as  those  forming  this  group  proliably  were,  are  often  without  burials  in  their 
summit  plateaus,  liut  one  would  expect  to  find  cemeteries  in  the  surrounding  level 
ground.  Did  such  cemeteries  still  exist  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mounds,  it  is 
curious  we  failed  to  find  them — for  it  is  rarely  one  digs  to  any  extent  among 
skeletons,  wholly  or  in  part  extended,  without  encountering  some  of  them. 

If  cemeteries  underlie  the  cultivated  fields  (and  practically  all  the  territory 
near  the  mounds  has  been  under  cultivation  for  a long  time)  one  would  look  for 
numerous  accounts  of  the  finding  of  bones  and  artifacts  in  post-holes,  in  trenching, 
and  in  cultivation ; but  such  accounts,  as  we  have  seen,  are  not  forthcoming. 


INDEX. 


Abrasion  by  cord,  on  neck  of  ves- 
sel, 498. 

Alligator-gar,  their  scales  used  as 
projectile  points,  598. 

Analysis  of  ])igments  used  on  pot- 
tery from  the  lower  Arkansas 
river,  484. 

Anderson  landing,  monnd  near, 

586. 

Animal  form  as  origin  of  “tea])Ot” 
vessel,  according  to  Professor 
Holmes,  484. 

“Antler’’  design  on  vessel,  328. 

“Arrowhead  and  star’’  design 
painted  on  waterbottle,  494. 

Arrowheads,  492,  513,  532,  573, 
577,  580,  581. 

Artifacts.  post-Colnmbian,  almost 
universally  found  along  lower 
Arkansas  river,  482. 

Ashwood  Landing,  mound  near, 

5^5- 

Awl  of  bone,  492. 

P,achelor  Retreat  Landing, 
mound  near.  588. 

Ball  of  stone,  591. 

P>ead  of  earthenware,  492. 

Beads  of  brass,  490,  525. 

Beads  of  glass.  482,  490,  513.  525,  j 

570. 

Beads  of  sheet-copjier,  490,  533. 

Beads  of  shell,  490.  493,  513,  524,1 

525.  533-  572. 

Beads  worn  by  Indians  near  Ar- 
kansas river,  482. 

P,ear,  black,  jaw  and  tooth  of,  490. 


Bear,  black,  tooth  of,  513. 

Beaver,  tooth  of,  490,  533. 

Beech  drove  Landing,  mound 
near,  574. 

Belle  Prairie  Landing,  mound 
near,  574. 

Belzona,  mound  above,  579. 
Belzona,  mound  at,  579. 

Big  Mound  Landing,  mound  near, 

571- 

“Bird’s-head”  motive,  vessel  with 
design  resembling,  503. 

Bird’s  head,  vessel  with  rim  sur- 
mounted by,  508,  51 1,  522. 
Bivalve,  oi)en,  vessel  in  form  of, 

525- 

Blum  A.,  acknowledgment  to, 

594- 

Blum  mounds,  maj)  of,  595. 

BLU^r  Mouxd.s,  Mississiim’i,  Tiik, 

593- 

Boat-shaped  vessel,  531. 

Bone  awl,  492. 

Bone  implements,  blunt,  probably 
used  in  decorating  pottery,  533. 
Bone.  ])iercing  implements  of,  533. 
Bone  ])icrcing  imi)lement  with 
perforation,  533. 

Bone  ])ins,  490,  491. 

Bones,  human,  usually  badly  de- 
cayed, along  the  Arkansas 
river,  482. 

Bones,  ])reservcd  by  lime  salts, 

572- 

Bones,  specific  disease  of,  482, 

533- 

Bracelets  of  sheet-coi)per,  525. 


Brass  beads,  490,  525. 

Brass  beads,  necklace  of,  525. 

Brass,  disc  of,  510. 

Brass,  sheet-,  cones  of,  513. 

Buflfalo,  b(ines  of,  492. 

P>unched  burial,  ideal  exami)le  of, 
488,  48(9. 

Bunched  burial,  a vertical  form 
of,  490. 

Burial,  details  of  noteworthy 
forms  of,  493,  513,  532,  576,  577, 
580. 

Burial,  forms  of,  488,  510,  512, 

523.  524.  532. 

Caddo,  four  directions  in  the 
scalp  ceremony  of,  509. 

Carey  Middleton  Gin,  mounds 
near,  583. 

Caruthers’  Landing,  monnd  at, 

573- 

“Celts,”  490,  513,  523,  532,  533, 

577-  57«- 

CicKT.MN  Mounds  ok  Ark.\nsas 
.\ND  OF  Mississippi,  481. 

Chalcedony,  double-pointed  im- 
plement of,  533. 

Chisels  wrought  from  pebbles, 

492,  513.  533- 

Clark’s  Ferry,  monnd  near,  573. 

Clay,  white,  used  as  pigment  on 
jiottery,  484.  485. 

Clime,  Arthur  \\'.,  486. 

Compression,  cranial,  post-natal, 
488.  489.  512,  533. 

Cones  of  sheet-brass,  513. 


76  JOURN.  A.  N.  S.  PHILA.,  VOL.  XIII. 


602 


ini)p:x. 


Copper,  sheet-,  heads  of,  482,  490, 
533- 

Cop])er,  sheet-,  bracelets  of,  525. 

Copper,  sheet-,  ornament  of  wood 
overlaid  with,  582. 

Crania  from  lower  Arkansas 
river,  sent  to  U.  S.  National 
Museum,  482,  487,  489. 

Cranial  compression,  post-natal, 
488,  489,  512,  533. 

Crania  of  lower  Arkansas  river, 
report  on,  by  Dr.  Ales  Hrdlicka, 
55^- 

Cremation,  523,  533,  567,  576,  578, 
5*^3- 

Cremation  ])ractiscd  in  Yazoo- 
Sunflower  rej^ion,  567. 

Cross  of  the  four  directions,  508, 
528,  538. 

Crystals  of  quartz,  492,  513. 

Decoration  of  j)ottery  of  lower 
Arkansas  river  discussed,  484, 

485. 

Decoration,  painted,  on  pottery  of 
lower  Arkansas  river,  485. 

Deer,  Virginia,  skull  of,  492. 

]3esigns,  painted,  on  pottery  of 
lower  Arkansas  river,  have  lit- 
tle variety,  485. 

Disc  of  brass,  510. 

Disc,  ceremonial,  and  stone 
j)ipes,  found  near  Menard 
mound,  492. 

Discs  of  ])ottery,  492. 

Discs  of  stone,  492,  533. 

Double-pointed  implement  of 
chalcedony,  533. 

Douglas,  mound  near,  524. 

Du  Pratz  as  to  the  Yazoo  Indians, 
5^>5- 

Earthenware,  bead  of,  492. 

Earthenware  pipe,  fragments  of, 
493- 

Earthenware,  ])ipe  of,  534. 

Effigy  of  mussclshell,  351. 

liiffigy  of  (juadruped,  548. 

Effigy-pipe,  of  earthenware,  592. 


Effigy-vessel,  animal,  496. 
Effigy-vessel,  human,  490,  499. 
Engraved  designs  on  pottery  of 
lower  Arkansas  river,  seldom 
found,  485. 

Enola  Landing,  mound  near,  572. 
Evolution,  winged  serpent  to 
scroll,  516,  541. 

Excisions  as  decoration  of  pot- 
tery, 51 1. 

Eairview  Landing,  mounds  at, 

589- 

Eairview  Plantation,  mound  on, 

589- 

I'ewkes,  Dr.  J.  W.,  554. 
I'ish-shaped  vessel,  497,  498. 
I'orm,  unusual,  in  pottery,  536, 

538,  540,  55  L 555- 

I'ort  Place,  mounds  at,  574. 

I'our  directions,  cross  of  the,  528, 

538. 

I'our  directions,  cross  of  the,  ves- 
sel with  sun  and,  508,  509. 

Eour  directions  in  scalp  ceremony 
of  the  Caddo,  509. 

I'our  directions,  the,  indicated  by 
position  of  mounds,  574. 
h'owicr,  H.  identification  of 

fish  by,  598. 

Erog-“teapot,'’  496,  515. 
I'rog-vessel,  51 1. 

Erog  with  tail,  j)ainted  on  pottery, 

553.  554- 

Car,  alligator-,  scales  used  as  pro- 
jectile points,  598. 

George  Lake,  mounds  at  the 
mouth  of,  590. 

George  Lake,  mounds  near,  590. 
Glass  beads,  482,  490,  513,  525, 

570. 

Goldman  h'ield,  mound  near,  523. 
Gourd-vessel,  probable  prototy])e 
of  the  “tea])ot"  vessel,  494. 
Gourd,  vessels  in  form  of  shell  or 

531- 

Greer,  cemetery  near,  532. 


Haynes’  I’lufif  Landing,  dwelling- 
site  below,  569. 

Haynes’  PlufF  Landing,  mounds 
near,  569. 

Henry,  W.  A.,  acknowledgment 
to,  590. 

Hodge,  E.  486. 

Holly  Landing,  mound  at,  579. 
Holmes,  Prof.  Y'.  IL,  483,  484, 
485.  492,  493,  497,  503,  515,  535, 

548. 

Holmes,  Prof.  W.  H.,  his  note  on 
interesting  form  of  swastika, 
535-  536. 

Honey  Island,  mounds  near  head 
of,  584. 

Hough,  Dr.  Walter,  485  footnote, 

553- 

Houston,  George  T.,  acknowl- 
edgment to,  586. 

Hrdlicka,  Dr.  Ales,  482,  487,  533, 

558-^ 

Hrdlicka,  Dr.  Ales,  his  paper  on 
crania  of  lower  Arkansas  river, 
558- 

Human  effigy-vessel,  490,  499. 
Human  face,  vessel  with  incised, 

517- 

Human  head,  vessel  with  rim  sur- 
mounted by,  503.  522,  555. 

lm])lement,  double-])ointed,  of 
chalcedony,  533. 

Implement,  of  bone,  probably  used 
in  decorating  pottery,  533. 
Implement,  piercing,  of  bone,  533. 
Implement,  ])iercing,  of  bone,  with 
perfemation,  533. 

Incised  decoration  on  pottery  of 
lower  Arkansas  river,  484. 
Incised  decoration  on  pottery  of 
lower  .\rkansas  river,  rarity  of, 

485- 

Indians  near  .Arkansas  river,  Mar- 
(|uette  as  to,  481. 

Indians  of  the  lower  Yazoo  re- 
gion, Du  Pratz,  Coxe,  Tonty, 
Penicaut,  La  Harpe.  as  to,  565. 


INDEX. 


603 


Interlocked  scroll  design  common 
on  ])Ottery  of  lower  Arkansas 
river,  485. 

Inverted  vessels,  490,  493,  515, 

5^5.  534- 

Investii^ation,  onr,  extent  of,  in  the 
Yazoo-Sunflower  region,  566. 
Investigation,  onr,  in  Vazoo-Sun- 
flower  region,  limitations  to, 

507- 

Iron,  490. 

Jontel,  as  to  scalps  waved  toward 
the  four  directions,  509. 

Kaolin  used  for  paint,  485,  490, 

525- 

Keller,  Dr.  H.  F..  chemical  an- 
alyses and  tests  by,  482,  484, 
490,  510,  525,  533,  534.  575. 
5«'.  599- 

“Killed”  pottery  not  found  on 
lower  Arkansas  river,  483. 
King’s  Crossing,  monnds  at,  568. 
Knives  of  chert,  492,  493,  524,  532, 
533.  577.  580,  581. 

Koalnnsa  Landing,  dwelling-site 

at,  573- 

“Lake,’’  nse  of  the  word  in  parts 
of  the  southern  United  States, 
573  footnote. 

Lamb,  Dr.  D.  S.,  as  to  tnheren- 
losis  of  bone,  524. 

Leist  Landing,  monnds  near,  570. 
Life-forms  in  pottery  of  lower 
Arkansas  river,  483. 

Little  Rock,  interesting  vessel  in 
collection  at,  557. 

Lucas  Plantation,  monnds  on,  585. 
Lucas,  Prof.  F.  identification 
of  animal  bones  by,  490,  513, 
570- 

Lumholtz,  Dr.  Carl,  485  footnote. 

Mar(juette  as  to  Indians  near  .Ar- 
kansas river,  481. 

May  bon  Landing,  monnds  near, 

5's9- 

Menard  Mound,  481,  483,  486,  487. 


Menard  Mound,  forms  of  burial 
near,  488. 

.Method  of  applying  painted  dec- 
oration to  ])ottery  of  lower  .Ar- 
kansas river,  485. 

.Miller,  Dr.  M.  G.,  486,  596. 

Miller  Landing,  mound  near,  571, 
Monterey  Landing,  dwelling-site 
near,  573. 

Montgomery  Landing,  mound 
near,  583. 

Mound  at  Douglas,  used  as  cem- 
etery, 524. 

Mounds  .\nd  Cf.metkries  of  the 
Lower  .Ark.\ns.\s  River,  481.  | 

Mounds  and  sites  investigated  on 
lower  .Arkansas  river,  486.  ’ 

iMounds  and  sites  investigated  on 
the  Sunfiower  river,  586.  j 

Mounds  and  sites  investigated  on 
the  Yazoo  river,  568.  j 

Mounds  of  the  Lower  AAvzoo  .\nd 
Lower  Sunflower  Rivers,  ]\Iis- 

SISSIIM’I,  565.  I 

Musselshell,  effigy  of,  551. 
Musselshell  in  vessel  near  Menard 
mound,  490. 

Musselshells  in  vessels  at  Greer, 

534- 

Mutilation,  no  ceremonial,  of  pot- 1 
tery,  along  the  lower  .Arkansas 
river,  483. 

Natchez  Indians,  Du  Pratz,  Charle- 
voi.x,  de  Montigny,  de  la  Vente,  | 
Memhre,  as  to,  566.  | 

Natchez  Indians,  reason  for  their 
decrease  in  numher,  566.  ' 

.Necklace  of  beads  of  sheet-brass, 

525- 

Necklace  of  beads  of  sheet-brass 
and  of  shell,  525. 

j 

Oak  \'alley  Landing,  mound  near, 

572. 

Oakwood,  or  Roebuck  Landing, 
mounds  near,  584. 

Object  of  limestone,  569. 


Objects,  post-Colnmbian,  almost 
universally  found  along  lower 
.Arkansas  river,  482. 

Old  River  Landing,  near,  51 1. 

O’Neills  Landing,  monnds  near, 

571- 

Origin  of  “teapot”  vessel,  accord- 
ing to  Professor  Holmes,  484. 

Origin  of  “teapot”  vessel,  sugges- 
tion as  to,  494. 

Ornament  of  wood  overlaid  with 
sheet-copper,  582. 

Owners  of  monnds  and  sites, 
thanks  to,  567. 

O.xide  of  iron,  red  pigment  on 
pottery,  484,  599. 

O.xide  of  iron,  red  pigment,  with 
hnrials,  490. 

Painted  decoration  on  pottery  of 
lower  .Arkansas  river,  484,  483. 

Painted  decoration  on  pottery  of 
lower  .Arkansas  river,  method 
of  ap])lying,  483. 

Painted  decoration  on  pottery  of 
lower  .Arkansas  river,  monotony 
of,  483. 

Parker’s  Rayon,  mound  near,  374. 

Pathological  specimens,  487,  324, 
533- 

Pathological  specimen  from 
Douglas,  Dr.  D.  S.  Lamb  as  to, 

524- 

Pathological  specimens  from  vic- 
inity of  Menard  mound,  487. 

Peaster  IMace,  mounds  at  the,  373. 

Pebble  cut  in  form  of  barrel.  492. 

Pecan  Grove,  mound  at,  388. 

Pendant  of  sedimentary  rock.  332. 

Perforated  pebbles,  492,  313. 

Phillipston  Landing,  mounds 
near,  384. 

Piercing  implements  of  bone,  333. 

Pigment  contained  in  vessels,  484, 
525.  534- 

Pigment.  red,  in  connection  with 
inci.sed  lines  on  pottery,  484, 
5.30.  534.  53<'a  540,  550.  551- 


G04 


INDEX. 


Pigments  on  pottery  of  lower  Ar-  [ 
kansas  river,  nature  of,  484,  485, 
490. 

Pigments,  varieties  of,  on  pottery 
of  lower  Arkansas  river,  484. 
485,  490. 

I’igment,  white,  in  connection 
with  incised  lines  in  pottery,, 

530- 

Pilshry,  Dr.  II.  A.,  shells  identi- 
fied by,  4H8,  525,  534,  572,  584, 
600. 

Pins  of  hone,  490,  491. 

I’ipe  of  earthenware,  493,  534. 

l’i])e  of  limestone,  513. 

Pipes  of  earthenware  of  middle 
I\lississip])i  region.  Professor 
Holmes  as  to,  493. 

I’ottery,  black,  highly  i)olished, 
seldom  found  along  lower  -Ar- 
kansas river,  483. 

Pottery  discs,  from  near  Menard 
mound,  492. 

Pottery,  how  deposited  along 
lower  .Arkansas  river,  482,  483. 

Pottery,  how  de])osited  in  ceme- 
tery near  (ireer,  534. 

Pottery,  how  deposited  near  Men- 
ard mound,  493. 

Pottery,  how  deposited  near  Old 
River  Landing,  514. 

Pottery,  little  else  but,  in  graves 
of  lower  -Arkansas  river,  482. 

I’ottery,  noteworthy,  particularly 
described,  494,  496,  497,  498, 
49*^.  503.  508,  509,  51 1,  515.  516, 
517.  5^0,  522,  528,  530,  531,  535, 
53^^  538.  540,  54  L 543.  544,  548, 
549.  550,  55  L 55^,  553,  554,  555- 

Pottery  of  lower  -Arkansas  river, 
hut  little  affected  l)y  the  Euro- 
pean contact,  483. 

I’ottery  of  lower  .Arkansas  river, 
decoration  of,  discussed,  484, 

485- 

Pottery  of  lower  .Arkansas  river, 
its  fpiality  discus.sed,  483. 


Pottery  of  lower  .Arkansas  river, 
its  shaj)e  described,  483. 

Pottery  of  lower  .Arkansas  river, 
not  ceremonially  mutilated,  483. 

Pottery,  unusual  forms  of,  536, 
538,  540,  551,  555- 

Quadruped,  effigy  of,  548. 

Quadruped  vessel,  496. 

Quartz  crystals,  492,  513. 

Racetrack  Landing,  mound  at, 

585- 

Red  ocher,  used  as  pigment  on 
vessel,  484. 

Report  o.\  .\  Coi.i.ection  oe  Cr.\- 
Ni.\  EROM  .Ark.\ns.\s,  by  Dr.  .Ales 
Hrdlicka,  558. 

Research  on  .Arkansas  river,  e.\- 
tent  of  our,  481. 

Restoration  of  pottery  of  lower 
Arkansas  river,  as  to,  486. 

Rialto  Landing,  mound  near,  572. 

Sawyer’s  Landing,  near,  509. 

Scroll,  evolution  of,  from  winged 
serpent,  516,  541. 

Scroll  design  of  unusual  form, 
555- 

Serj)ent  design  on  pottery.  Sun- 
flower river,  586. 

Ser])ents,  ]>arts  of,  shown  on  ves- 
sels, 540,  541,  543- 

Sheet-cop])er,  beads  of,  490,  533. 

Sheet-copi)er,  bracelets  of,  525. 

Shell  beads,  488,  4(p,  493,  513.  524, 

525.  533.  572- 

Shell  lllutif  Landing,  mounds 
near,  384. 

Shell-form,  vessel  of  convention- 
alized, 490,  525. 

Shell,  vessels  in  form  of  gourd 
or  of,  531. 

She])pardtown  Landing,  mound 
near,  584. 

Silent  Shade  Landing,  mounds 
near,  582. 

Silver  City,  mound  at,  579. 


Sites  affected  by  course  of  Ar- 
kansas river,  481. 

Skulls  from  lower  .Arkansas  river 
sent  to  U.  S.  National  Museum, 
482. 

Smoking-pipes,  493,  513,  534. 
Spanish  Fort  Landing,  mounds  at, 

' 589- 

; Springwood  Landing,  mound 
near,  579. 

I Stalonia  Landing,  mounds  at,  589. 
j Star-form  as  decoration  on  pot- 
tery, 494. 

Star  \\’est  Landing,  mounds  near, 

585- 

I -Stella  Landing,  mound  near,  571. 
Stone  discs,  492,  533. 

Stone  pipes  and  ceremonial  disc 
found  near  Menard  mound,  492. 
Stone  vessel,  fragment  of,  492. 
Sunflower  river,  its  course,  565. 
Sun-symbols,  509,  520,  528,  530, 

551- 

Sun-symhol,  vessel  with  cross  of 
the  four  directions,  and,  508, 

509- 

Swastika  as  decoration  on  pot- 
tt-'OA  515.  535.  -53^’.  .540,  543.  549- 
Swastika,  interesting  form  of,  535, 

536- 

Swastika,  note  on  interesting  form 
of,  by  Prof.  W.  IL  Holmes,  535, 

536. 

Sweet  Home  Landing,  mound 
near.  571. 

Sycamore  Landing,  mound  near, 
57'- 

-Symhols  of  sun  and  the  four  di- 
rections, on  pottery,  508,  509. 

Tarsus  Landing,  mound  near,  572. 
Tchula  Lake,  mound  near  en- 
trance of.  575. 

Tchula  Lake,  mound  on,  575. 
“Teapot’’  form  of  vessel,  483.  484, 
493,  494,  496,  5 '5.  5 '7.  525.  528, 
-S3'.  534.  5-57- 
“Teapot,”  frog-,  496,  315. 


INDEX. 


G05 


“Teapot”  vessel,  distribution  of, 
484. 

“Teapot”  vessel,  orig-in  of,  accord- 
ing to  Professor  Holmes,  484. 

“Teapot”  vessel,  suggestion  as  to 
origin  of,  494. 

“Teapot”  vessel,  certain  varieties 
of,  described,  484. 

Tempering  of  pottery  with  frag- 
ments of  stone,  581. 

Tbruston,  Gen.  Gates  P.,  548. 

Tines  of  deer  antlers,  492,  533. 

Toltec  mounds,  481,  557. 

Trailed  decoration,  how  conferred, 

-IHS- 

d'railed  decoration  shows  monot- 
ony of  design  along  lower  Ar- 
kansas river,  485. 

'ruberculosis,  human  bone  affect- 
ed by,  524. 

Turtle,  vessel  in  form  of,  520. 

Urn-burial  practised  in  Yazoo- 
Sundower  region,  567,  578. 


X'ertical  form  of  bunched  burial, 
490. 

X'essel  of  quadrangular  form,  555. 

Vessel  of  stone,  fragment  of,  492. 

VTssels,  either  gourd-,  or  shell-, 
forms,  530,  531. 

\Tssels,  inverted,  490,  493,  515, 

5U> 

X'essels,  noteworthy,  particularly 
described,  494,  496,  497,  498, 
499-  503.  508,  509,  51 1,  515,  516, 
517,  520,  522,  528,  530,  531,  535, 
53G,  538,  540,  541,  543.  544.  548, 
549.  550,  551.  552,  553.  554. 
555- 

Vessels,  number  of,  found  near 
Menard  mound,  493. 

X'essels,  small,  usually  found  with 
children,  482,  493,  494,  496,  525, 
530,  534- 

V'essels  of  unusual  form,  536,  538, 

540.  55  G 555- 


Wasp  Lake,  mound  near  entrance 
to,  581. 

Wasp  Lake,  mounds  near,  581. 

Waterbottle,  painted  with  unique 
design  of  stars  and  “arrow- 
heads,” 494. 

Welsh  Camp  Landing,  mound 
near,  580. 

Willoughby,  Charles  C.,  as  to  dec- 
oration on  certain  vessels,  509 
footnote,  528  footnote,  538,  540, 
541,  543- 

Winged  serpent,  evolution  of,  to 
scroll,  516,  541. 

I Wrong-end-up  Landing,  mounds 

i near,  =588. 

I 

I Yalobusha  river,  mound  near 
mouth  of,  584. 

Yazoo  City,  mounds  near,  573. 

Yazoo  Indians,  their  connection 
with  the  Natchez,  565. 

Yazoo  river,  its  course,  565. 


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>?^-  s 


JOURNAL 


OF 


The  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 


PHILADELPHIA. 


VOLUME  XIII,  SECOND  SERIES. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PRINTED  FOR  THE  ACADEMY. 
1905-1908. 


PU B r JC ATION  COMM ITTEE. 

Henky  Skinner,  M.  D.  Piiilii*  P.  Calvert,  Pil  I). 

JIenry  a.  Pilshry,  Sc.  I).  Wit.mer  Stone. 

Edward  J.  Nolan,  I). 

The  President,  Sa.muel  G.  Dixon,  M.  D.,  ex-officio. 

Editor,  Edward  J.  Noi.an,  M.  I). 


CONTENTS 


PART  I. 

ART.  [. — Organization  and  Cell  Lineage  of  the  Ascidian  Egg. 

Hy  Edwin  G.  Conklin,  I’h.I).  (Plates  I-XIII)  . . 1 

PART  II. 

.\RT.  II. — Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Black  Warrior  River. 

By  Clarence  B.  Moore  . . 127 

.\R  r.  III. — Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  the  Lower  Toinhighee  River. 

By  Clarence  B.  Moore  . . 247 

ART.  IV. — Certain  Aboriginal  Mounds  of  Mobile  Bay  and  Missi.ssippi  Sound. 

By  Clarence  B.  Moore  . . 279 

.\RT.  \^. — Miscellaneous  Investigations  in  Florida.  By  Clarence  B.  Moore  . . . 299 

PART  III. 

ART'.  VI. — Mound ville  Revisited.  By  Clarence  B.  Moore.  ......  387 

.\RT.  VII. — Crystal  River  Revisited.  By  ('larence  B.  Moore  ......  407 

.VRT.  VIII. — Mounds  of  the  Lower  Chattahoochee  and  Lower  Flint  Rivers. 

By  Clarence  B.  Moore  . . 427 

.VRT.  IX. — Notes  on  the  Ten  Thousand  Islands,  Florida.  By  Clarence  B.  Moore  . . 4o8 

PART  IV. 

.VRT.  X. — Certain  Mounds  of  Arkansas  and  of  Mississippi. 


Part  1.  Mounds  and  Cemeteries  of  the  Lower  Arkansas  River. 

Part  2.  .Mounds  of  the  Lower  Yazoo  and  Lower  Sunflower  Rivers, 

M ississippi. 

Part  3.  The  Blum  Mounds,  Mississippi.  By  Clarence  B.  Moore  . . 481 

’ Kxtra  copies  printed  for  tlie  author.  March  24,  1905. 

Kxtra  copies  printed  for  the  author,  October  16,  1905. 

^ Kxtra  copies  printed  for  the  author,  Septemher  20,  1907, 

* Kxtra  copies  printed  for  the  author,  ,\ugust  2.5.  1908. 


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INDEX  TO  SPECIES,  ETC., 


KEFKHHEI)  TO  OR  DESCHIHEI)  IN  VOLUME  XIII. 


Allolohophora,  96,  100. 
Anculosa  talniata,  180. 
Ancylus,  89. 

Area,  469. 

])()iuIerosa,  470. 
Asterias  ^lacialis,  89. 
Cerebratulus,  89. 
ClKctoptcrus,  95. 

Ciona,  6-112. 

Callista  ninihosa,  307. 
Campaloma  poiiderosum,  264. 
Campejiliilus  principalis,  138. 
Cardium,  415. 

Cassis  cameo,  415. 

Castor  canadensis  carolinensis, 

403- 

Codakia  orbicularis,  470. 
Dentalium,  89,  96,  99,  105 
106. 

Dosinia  discus,  399. 
Fasciolaria,  325,  465,  467, 
468. 

^Mj^antea,  325,  415,  418. 
tulipa,  415. 

Finna,  399. 

Fnlgiir,  416,  423,  424,  531. 
carica,  325,  415. 
])erversum,  161,  223, 

305.  307,  3i^>-325, 
415.  4 if*.  454.  4CA 
468. 

pyrum,  415. 

(jrampns  grisens,  423. 
Cypagus  papa,  384. 


lllyanassa,  105. 

Lampsilis  anodontoides,  270, 
285,  600. 

claibornensis,  263. 
fallaciosus,  572,  584. 
hydianns,  572. 
purjinratus,  222,  263, 
270,  534,  572. 
rectus,  175,  270. 
Lepidosteus  tristoechns,  598. 
Liniax,  89. 

Limmea,  89,  96,  105. 

Lithasia  showalterii,  180. 
Macrocallista  gigantea,  424. 
Marginella  apicina,  416,  450, 

525- 

Myzostoma,  98-106. 

glabrnm,  96. 

Xeritina,  90. 

Obovaria  circulns,  177. 
Obliqiiaria  retlexa,  177,  263. 
Odocoliens  virginianus,  423. 
Oliva  literata,  423. 
Pectnnculns,  469. 

Physa,  89,  96,  105. 

Planorbis,  89,  96,  105. 
Polygyra,  89. 

Pyrainidnla  alternata,  572. 
Quadrula  boykiniana,  343. 
cornuta,  264,  399. 
ebena,  177,  263. 
ellipsis,  572. 
beros,  263,  600. 
lacbrysmo.sa,  572. 


Quadrnla  inetacora,  263. 

pernodosa,  177,  263, 

264. 

perplicata,  600. 
plicata,  584. 
pyramidata,  399,  584. 
stapes,  177. 

trapezoides,  249,  263, 

572. 

trigona,  572. 

Rangia  cuneata,  281,  284, 
290,  295. 

Rhyncbelinis,  96. 

Salpa,  108. 

Stroinbns  gigas,  325,  415, 
461. 

Strongylocentrotus,  89,  94, 
99-107. 

Snccinea,  89. 

Tritigonia  tnberculata,  399. 
Truncilla  jienita,  177,  263. 
'I'rygon,  424. 

Tiilotoma  inagnifica,  166, 
264. 

Unio,  89,  95,  551. 

congaroeus,  177. 
crassidens,  399. 
forbesianus,  399. 
gibbosns,  263. 

Crsns  americamis,  382. 

Venus  mortoni,  469. 

\ iviparns  subeinirpnreiis,  488, 

572. 


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CONTENTS. 


Certain  Mounds  of  Arkansas  and  of  Mississippi. 

I. — Mounds  and  Cemeteries  of  the  Lower  Arkansas  River. 

TI. — Mounds  of  the  Lower  Yazoo  and  Lower  Sunflower  Rivers,  Mississippi. 
III. — The  Blum  Mounds,  Mississippi.  By  Clarence  B.  Moore. 


* Extra  copies  printed  for  the  author,  August  25,  1908. 


